Original taken from gorbutovich in
“Oh mother Nate! Stretch your wings over me, eternal stars ... "
The inscription on the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun
The robbers invaded the tomb of Tutankhamun ten to fifteen years after his death. By some coincidence, 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 Dynamichrome 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 has been digging for twelve straight winters. He was lucky: he discovered the tombs of Thutmes IV, Sipt, Horemheb, extremely interesting and important for science, the mummy and sarcophagus of the great "heretic king" Amenhotep IV. In the year when the first World War, this concession passed to Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter, who later revealed the pharaoh Tutankhamun to the world.
The third car registered in England belonged to him: motor sport was his passion. This passion led to a fundamental change in his life - at the very beginning of the XX [in the book: "current"] For centuries, he finds himself in a car accident near Bad Langenschwalbach, Germany: he turns over in his car. In addition to a number of serious injuries, the consequence of the disaster was the defeat of the respiratory tract; real attacks of suffocation make it impossible for him to stay in England in the winter. So, in 1903, he first came to Egypt with its milder climate, and here - for excavations, which were carried out by various archaeological expeditions. A wealthy independent person who had not previously had a definite goal in life, he saw in this activity a truly excellent opportunity to combine his passion for sports with serious art. In 1906, he embarked on independent excavations, but in the same winter came to the conclusion that his knowledge was completely insufficient. He turns to Professor Maspero for help, and he recommends young Howard Carter to him.
The collaboration of these people was extremely fruitful. Howard Carter complemented Lord Carnarvon splendidly: he was a well-rounded explorer, and even before Lord Carnarvon invited him to oversee all of 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 fact-recorder, 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 to work together. It was only in the fall of 1917 that they managed to increase the scale of work so much that there was hope of success. It was then that what we have already met many times in the history of science: from the very beginning they managed to attack something the place where, in fact, the discovery was made later. However, a number of external circumstances - critical reflections, delays, doubts and, above all, 'the instructions of specialists' slowed down the whole business and led to the fact that it almost collapsed altogether. "
4.
The plan of the tomb on the website of The Discovery of King Tut
"Having started excavations, Carnarvon and Carter during the winter removed almost the entire upper layer rubble and rubble and brought the excavation to the foot of the open tomb of Ramses VI. “Here we came across a number of workers' huts - a few shacks that were built on a heap of flint debris, which, as you know, is always a sure sign of the proximity of a tomb in the Valley.”
The events of the next few years gradually acquired an increasingly tense character.
Because of the tourists, or rather, because further excavations would interfere with the inspection of the tomb of Ramses, who are eagerly visited by tourists, Carnarvon and Carter decided to reduce the 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 Ramses VI and found there, in a small cache, some items of known archaeological interest from the grave goods.
“Never before during our work in the Valley have we been so close to real discovery,” Carter later wrote.
Now they have “turned around,” as Petrie would have said, the entire triangle, except for the piece of land on which the workers' huts stood. And again they leave this last plot untouched, again go to another place, to a small hollow adjacent to the Valley of the Kings, to the tomb of Thutmes III, rummaging there for two years in a row and in the end they find nothing of value.
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 Ramses VI. After much hesitation, they finally decide to dedicate another winter to the Valley of the Kings, this time really the last one. "
"On November 3, 1922, Carter (Lord Carnarvon was at that time in England) began to demolish the shacks - these were the remains of dwellings from the 20th dynasty. The next morning, a stone step was discovered under the first shack. By the evening of November 5, after they had been removed mountains of rubble and rubble, there was no longer any doubt that they had managed to find the entrance to some kind of tomb.
However, it could 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 been desecrated and plundered. Finally, in order to sort out all the pessimistic options, let's say that the tomb could not belong to the king at all, but to some courtier or priest.
As the work progressed, Carter's excitement grew. Step by step were freed from the rubble and rubble, and by the time the sun went down suddenly, as always in Egypt, everyone saw the twelfth step, and beyond it " upper part a closed, lime-smeared and sealed door. " “Sealed door! So, really ... This moment could excite a seasoned archaeologist. "
6.
Plan indoor spaces tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. From K. Keram's book "Gods, Tombs, Scientists".
Carter examined the seals: they were the seals of the royal necropolis. Consequently, there, in the tomb, the ashes of some really high-ranking person rested. Since the dwellings of workers from the time of the XX dynasty had closed the entrance to the tomb, it, at least from that time, should have become inaccessible to thieves. Shivering with impatience, Carter 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 littered 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 loyal people, returned home by the light of the moon, he had to enter into an arduous struggle with himself.
“There could be anything behind this move, literally anything, and I had to call on all my composure to resist the temptation to break open the door and continue searching,” 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, a burning impatience seized him. An inner voice whispered to him that after six years of fruitless labor, he was finally on the verge of a great discovery; and yet it is difficult for him not to admire this - he decides to fill up the excavation and wait for the return of Lord Carnarvon, his friend and collaborator.
7.
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: “At last we have made a remarkable discovery in the Valley. Magnificent tomb with intact seals; before your arrival, everything is filled up again. Congratulations". On the eighth he receives two replies: "I will come as soon as possible"; "I propose to be in Alexandria on the twentieth."
Lord Carnarvon arrived in Luxor with his daughter on 23 November. Carter spent more than two weeks in searing impatience, in anxious anticipation in front of the newly filled tomb. Two days after the opening, a hail of congratulations fell upon him, but with what, in fact, he was congratulated - with what opening, whose tombs? This Carter did not know. If he had continued the excavation just a few centimeters, he would have seen an absolutely clear and distinct imprint of Tutankhamun's seal. "I'd rather sleep at night and save myself three weeks of excruciating uncertainty."
8.
December 1922. Ornately carved alabaster vases in the antechamber. Image: Harry Burton. The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamichrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
By the afternoon of November 24, workers had cleared all the steps. Stepping off the last, sixteenth, Carter found himself in front of a sealed door. He saw the imprints of the seal with the name of Tutankhamun and at the same time what almost all the researchers of the tombs had to face: the traces of the robbers, who here, too, managed to get ahead of the scientists; here, as well as in other places, the thieves managed to do their job.
“Since the whole door was now visible, we were able to see what had previously been hidden from our eyes, namely: part of the walled passage was twice opened and re-sealed; the seals we found earlier - a jackal and nine captives - were attached to the part of the wall that was opened, while the seals of Tutankhamun, which originally sealed the tomb, were on the other, lower, untouched part of the wall. Thus, the tomb was not at all, as we hoped, completely intact. The robbers visited it, and even more than once. The huts, which we have already mentioned, testified that the robbers were active even before the reign of Ramses VI, and the fact that the tomb was sealed again indicated that the robbers had not been able to clean it completely. " "
9.
Treasury / C. 1923. An assortment of model boats in the treasury of the tomb. Image: Harry Burton. The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamichrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
"The decisive moment came," writes Carter, "with trembling hands we made a small hole in the upper left corner .."
Taking an iron bar, Carter passed it through the hole; the rod did not meet an obstacle. Then Carter lit a match and held it to the door: no sign of gas. He began to widen the hole.
Now everyone crowded around him: Lord Carnarvon, his daughter Lady Evelyn Herbert and the Egyptologist Callender, who, barely learning about the new find, hastened to offer his services as an assistant. Nervously striking a match, Carter lights a candle and with a trembling hand brings it to the hole, but the hot air flowing out of the hole almost blows it out, and in the flickering light Carter does not immediately manage to make out what is behind the door. Gradually, his eyes get used to it, and he distinguishes first outlines, then the first colors, and when at last it becomes clear to him the contents of the chamber located on the other side of the door, a victory cry freezes on his lips ... he is silent. For those who are 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!"
10.
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 Dynamichrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
“There is no doubt that in the entire history of archaeological excavations, no one has ever been able to see anything more magnificent than what our lantern pulled out of the darkness,” Carter said, when the first excitement subsided and researchers, one by one, 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 light bulb he danced on a golden stretcher, on a massive golden throne, on two large dull black statues, on alabaster vases, on some extraordinary caskets. The heads of strange beasts cast monstrous shadows on the walls; like sentries, stood one against the other two statues “with golden aprons, in golden sandals, with clubs and wands. Their foreheads were entwined with golden images of sacred snakes. "
11.
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 Dynamichrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
And among all this luxury of the dead, which it was impossible to grasp with a glance, traces of the living were visible: near the door stood a vessel half-filled with lime, not far from it - a lamp black with soot, in another place on the wall was a fingerprint, on the threshold lay a garland of flowers - the last tribute to the deceased. Carnarvon and Carter stood as if spellbound, looking at all this dead luxury and at the traces of life that had survived for so many millennia; it took a long time 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 it possible that the question, which had been discussed more than once, had to surface again: a tomb or a hiding place?
However, going around all the rooms step by step, they found between the sentries another, third, sealed door. “In our thoughts, we already imagined a whole suite of rooms, similar to the one in which we were, also filled with treasures, and we were breathtaking.” On November 27, they examined the door and, by the light of the strong electric lamps, which by that time Callender had managed to establish, were convinced that almost at floor level, next to the door, there was a passage, also sealed, though later than the door itself. This means that the robbers had time to visit here too. What could be hidden in this second cell or second corridor? If there was a mummy behind this door, then in what form? Was she whole? There was a lot of mystery here. The layout of this tomb was also strange, unlike any of those found earlier. Even stranger was the fact that the robbers tried to get through the third door, not paying any attention to the wealth that was in front of them. What were they looking for if they calmly walked past the heap of gold things that were lying in the first room? "
"... Carter had enough cursory glance to understand: a careful study of all these treasures" will lead to a change, if not a complete revolution in all previous views and theories. "
12.
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 Dynamichrome 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 boxes. 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 overflowing with all sorts of household items and jewelry. As far as this could be judged, everything in the tomb remained in the form in which the robbers left it; they passed here "like a good earthquake." And again the question arises: the robbers rummaged through everything here, they (we can talk about this absolutely definitely) threw some things and objects from the side chamber to the front one, they damaged something, smashed it, but stole almost nothing - even that, so to say, it climbed into their hands. Perhaps they were frightened away?
Up to this point, everyone - Carter, Carnarvon, and the others - were as if in a daze and had a poor idea of what they were doing. But now, having seen the contents of the side chamber, guessing that something completely unusual awaits them behind the third door, they begin to understand the complexity of the scientific task before them and what great work and a strict organization will require its permission.
It was impossible to understand this find, even only what they had already discovered, in one season! "
13.
December 1922. Under the lion bed in the antechamber are several boxes and chests, and an ebony and ivory chair which Tutankhamun used as a child. Image: Harry Burton. The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamichrome 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 to do with the similar actions of their predecessors, who quickly excavated, but no less quickly filled up the places of their
finds. "
"One thing was clear to Carter: in no case should you rush to excavations. Not to mention the need to firmly establish the original location of all the objects found (this was important for dating and other determinations), many of the jewels were damaged, and before touching them, it was necessary to take measures to preserve them, that is, to properly process and pack. the appropriate amount of packaging materials and various preparations.
14.
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 Dynamichrome for the Exhibition“ The Discovery of King Tut ”in New York.
It was necessary to consult with experts and create a laboratory where an immediate study of those important finds that could not be preserved would be carried out. The cataloging of such a large number of finds alone 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 the watchman Callender remained on the spot), secure the tomb from the modern followers of Abd al-Rasul. Moreover, barely arriving in Cairo, Carter ordered a heavy iron grate for the inner door.
15.
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 Dynamichrome 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 help that Carnarvon and Carter received from the very beginning from all over the world. Subsequently, Carter expressed in print his gratitude 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 led the workers who took part in the excavations. We will also quote this letter, for we do not want to glorify intellectual assistance alone. Here it is:
Mr. Howard Carter, ss.
Honorable sir!
I am writing you a letter in the hope that you are safe and sound, and I pray to the Almighty that He does not leave you in his worries and return us in good health, safe and sound. I dare to inform Your Grace that Warehouse 15 is in 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 their instructions.
Hussein, Gaz Hasan, Hasan Awad, Abdelad-Ahmed and all send you their best wishes.
I send my best wishes To you, to all the members of the lord's family and to all your friends in England.
Looking forward to your early arrival, Yours truly
Ahmed Gurgar.
16.
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 Dynamichrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.
In response to a timid request for help from which Carter turned to members of an expedition in the Thebes area, Lysgow, the head of the Egyptian branch of the New York Metropolitan Museum, placed his photographer Harry Burton at his disposal, despite the fact that he was deprived of such the image of the employee he needs; in his reply to Carter, he wrote: “Glad to be at least something useful. I ask you to completely dispose of Burton just like any member of our expedition. " As a result, draftsmen Hall and Hauser and the head of the excavations in the area of the Lisht pyramids A.K. Mays migrated to Carter. The director of the Egyptian State Department of Chemistry, A. Lucas, from Cairo, placed himself and his three-month leave at Carter's disposal. Dr. Alan Gardiner turned his attention to 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.
17.
A sculptural portrait of Tutankhamun on the second golden sarcophase. A garland of flowers can be seen, which at the time of the opening of the sarcophagus still retained its 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 to study the mummy. A. Lucas wrote an extensive monograph "Chemistry in the Tomb" on metals, oils, fats and fabrics. 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 by flowers and berries at what time of year Tutankhamun was buried: knowing when the cornflower blooms, when the mandrake ripens - the "apple of love" from the Song of Songs - and the blackberry nightshade, 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 investigated by Alexander Scott and H. J. Plenderleit.
This is a creative community of specialists (some of them were specialists in fields far removed from archeology and history the ancient world) was a sure guarantee that the scientific results of these excavations were more significant than any previous ones.
Now it was time to get to work. December 16 the excavation was rediscovered. On December 18, photographer Burton took test pictures, 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. / Per. from German A.S. Varshavsky - SPb: "KEM", together with the publishing house "Nizhegorodskaya Yarmarka", N. Novgorod, 1994. S. 60, 156-184.
First edition: M., 1963. German edition: Ceram "Gotter, Graber und Gelehrte". Roman Der Archaologie. Hamburg 1955.
If you see an error, please write. I copied the text of the book from pdf, not very well recognized.
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When Howard Carter opened King Tut's tomb in 1922, the world went a little crazy. What could be more intriguing than rooms filled with sparkling treasures buried under the sands of the Valley of the Kings over 3,000 years ago?
Curse of the mummy, that's what. The media wrote about him, the public liked it, and now, almost a century later, many people still believe in him.
Ancient Egyptians didn't have the concept of a cursed grave
Some historians speculate that the curse of the mummy is part of ancient Egyptian mythology and is intended to deter robbers from stealing royal treasures. And while it is true that the tombs were designed to confuse would-be thieves, there was no concept of "curse" as such in the time of Tutankhamun. Only about 1 percent of the Egyptian population could read hieroglyphs, and an even smaller percentage of the likelihood that such an educated Egyptian would rob tombs.
On the other hand, the tomb builders may have passed the curse by word of mouth, but there is no evidence that they did so. According to National Geographic, the late Egyptologist Dominique Montserrat concluded that "the concept of the curse of the mummy is not of ancient Egyptian origin." Instead, Montserrat said that a stage performance was staged in 19th century London that included the discovery of real Egyptian mummies - and it became the inspiration for these original stories.
Valid Threats in Tombs
However, if you dig deep enough into Egyptian history there seems to be a tomb or two that promised divine retribution to their robbers. Early mastaba tombs sometimes included curse-like death threats from wild animals. However, they really didn't work very well as a deterrent, as tombs were usually completely looted by the time they were opened. modern people.
The mummy curses some
There were 11 so-called victims of the curse, but most of the deaths in reality were not mystical, with the exception of Lord Carnarvon, the first and most famous. Carnarvon, the wealthy financier of Howard Carter's expedition, was bitten by a mosquito and then cut with a razor at the site of the bite. Such an event is not at all something from which a person could die, therefore the fact that it killed the financier became the impetus for the idea of a curse. The bite site became infected, and Carnarvon died of blood poisoning. The term of death was rather ominous - he died two months after Tut's tomb was opened.
However, the state of health of Carnarvon was no longer in better shape over the past 20 years, so it should come as no surprise that he was so susceptible to developing an infection.
Of the 58 people present at the opening of the sarcophagus, 50 were still alive 12 years later. Bottom line: Apart from Carnarvon, the curse had 10 years to take effect and only hit a small handful of 8 people who deserved it?
Canary in a cobra
According to Time, when archaeologists broke into the first room, they found two statues of Tutankhamun. The statues were in life size, and on each head was a crown adorned with stylized cobras.
The locals who worked with Carter were terrified by the sight of the snakes because the cobras symbolized royal justice. Then, on the evening of the same day, Howard Carter's beloved canary was literally eaten by a cobra, and this frightened the locals even more. Some of them believed that the spirit of the dead king warns and drives away archaeologists.
In Egypt, cobras are not rare animals: they are attracted to villages where they can hunt young chickens, rats and canaries. Therefore, for every canary who died in Egypt on the day that Tut's tomb was opened, as well as for the several thousand small animals eaten by the cobras that day, the curse of the pharaoh's tomb hardly made sense.
Can you be more precise, please?
Another popular legend is that Carter and his team encountered a written curse in a room preceding the tomb. The curse was written on a clay tablet: "Death on its wings rushes to punish those who violate the peace of Pharaoh." Carter ignored the warning, did not make any notes about it, and apparently lost the sign, because no one else saw it.
Believers in the myth explain the lack of facts about the clay tablet by the fact that Carter simply deleted all references to this, so as not to upset the locals. Which, in fact, is stupid, because he is an archaeologist, and it would not be scientific to do so. Also, none of the deaths of those people had anything to do with wings, which means that the curse on the tablet is not accurate.
I'll get my revenge on you later
Let's say there was actually a curse, and the spirit of the dead Pharaoh and / or any deities who protected him were ready to destroy anyone who dared to violate the sanctity of his grave. Shouldn't have become the main target for them the man who loudly opened the doors, made a sensation and took off the golden mask from the dead king?
King Tut was buried in "countless beautiful amulets," and there was another cobra on the forehead of his mummy, along with a vulture. However, before they were seen, Carter and the brigade, in their quest to reveal the boy king's face, tore off his head along with the mask they were trying to remove. So if someone brought a curse on themselves, it would be Carter.
Instead, the mummy contented itself with killing the canary. Carter himself not only continued to live, but for many years he excavated the tomb and did it without any divine sanction. Maybe he had some kind of amulet with protection, which he did not tell anyone about?
Seventeen years after he opened the tomb of King Tut, Howard Carter finally succumbed to the curse of the mummy - he developed lymphoma. Although this is a common disease, from which about a thousand people die in a year. Some say that Carter was cursed by watching the rest of the expedition die. But there is no evidence that he was tortured in this regard.
The tomb was also free of toxins.
There is also a theory of a toxic tomb, which goes like this: the pharaoh is sealed in the tomb, bacteria and other pathogens multiply there, the tomb opens thousands of years later, releasing toxins into the lungs of unsuspecting archaeologists. This is a nice, neat way of explaining a mysterious death without recognizing supernatural forces, but it's not a very solid theory.
Laboratories have indeed found potentially dangerous forms growing on Egyptian mummies and tomb walls, including those that can cause lung bleeding or infections, according to National Geographic. This may explain one of the deaths - George J. Gould died of pneumonia shortly after entering the tomb. But most of the other "victims" of the curse died from other causes, such as cancer, murder, suicide, and falling.
It seems strange that deadly viruses causing pneumonia would only infect one person when there were many other people present who spent much more time in the grave than Gould. One of these people was Sergeant Richard Adamson, who guarded Tut's burial chamber for seven years, and then continued to live for another 53 years after that. Tourists and Egyptologists walk in and out of tombs all the time, and no one remembers the plague of lung infections in recent history.
Final dry statistics
Then in 2002, someone finally got tired of hearing the silly mummy curse myth, so they published a factual document in a medical journal exposing the whole thing. Epidemiologist Mark Nelson spent a lot of time comparing the mortality rates of Westerners who were visiting Egypt at the time the tomb was opened with those of the same Westerners who were present when the tomb was opened, and then published the result in the British Medical Journal. No one laughed at him for seriously studying the curse of the mummy, because everyone was tired of hearing the myth too. If anything, what he found was amazing: the people who entered King Tut's grave died on average eight years earlier than the people of the other group.
Well well! The curse is proven! In addition, the people in the group that entered the tomb were on average older and almost exclusively male, so the data had to be corrected for the differences between the two groups. Nelson found no statistically significant difference between the mortality rates of both groups, so the case is closed. No mummy curse. It has never been proven.
On November 4, 1922, the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun was discovered in Egypt. The tomb is located in the Valley of the Kings, and this is the only tomb almost not plundered that has come down to 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. The tomb has preserved numerous decorations, 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 the Valley of the Kings of Egypt. The scientist managed to create a good reputation for himself, scrupulously describing and preserving discoveries.
Searches in the valley, which continued for many years, yielded very modest results, which over time brought Carter the wrath of the employer. In 1922, Lord Carnarvon told him that from next year he would stop funding the work.
1.1923 Lord Carnarvon, who financed the excavation, reads on the veranda of Carter's home near the Valley of the Kings.
Desperate for a breakthrough, Carter decided to return to a previously abandoned dig site. On November 4, 1922, his team discovered a step cut into the rock. By the end next day an entire staircase was 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 gap in the corner of the door at the end of the stairs. Holding the candle, he looked inside.
"At first I did not see anything, hot air rushed out of the room, as a result of which the candle flame flickered, but soon, as soon as my eyes got used to the light, details of the room, strange animals, statues and gold, slowly appeared from the fog - everywhere the glitter of gold" ( Howard Carter).
A team of archaeologists have discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, the youth king who ruled Egypt from 1332 to about 1323 BC.
Despite the traces that the tomb was twice visited by ancient robbers, the contents of the room remained practically intact. The tomb was stuffed with thousands of priceless artifacts, including a sarcophagus with the mummified remains of Tutankhamun.
3.4 January 1924 Howard Carter, Arthur Callender, and an Egyptian laborer open the doors to get their first glimpse of Tut's sarcophagus.
Each object in the tomb was carefully described and cataloged before being removed. This process took almost eight years.
4. December 1922. Ceremonial bed in the form of the Heavenly Cow surrounded by supplies and other objects in the front room of the tomb.
These photographs, documenting the opening of the legendary tomb of Tutankhamun, were colored by Dynamichrome for The Discovery of King Tut, which opens 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.
6.1923 A set of canoes in the treasury of the tomb.
7. December 1922. A gilded lion bed and an inlaid chest garment are among other objects in the front room.
8. December 1922. There are several boxes and chests under the lion bed in the front room, as well as an ebony chair and Ivory which Tutankhamun used as a child.
9.1923. The gilded bust of the Heavenly Cow Mehurt and the chests were in the treasury of the tomb.
10.1923 Chests inside the treasury.
12. January 1924. In the "laboratory" created in the tomb of Seti II, restorers Arthur Mays and Alfred Lucas clean one of the Ka statues from the front room.
13.November 29, 1923. Howard Carter, Arthur Callender, and an Egyptian laborer wrap one of the Ka statues for transportation.
14. December 1923. Arthur Mays and Alfred Lucas work with the golden chariot from the tomb of Tutankhamun outside the "laboratory" in the tomb of Seti II.
15.1923 Anubis statue on a funeral stretcher.
16.December 2, 1923. Carter, Callender, and two workers remove the partition between the front room and the burial chamber.
17. December 1923. Inside the outer ark, in the burial chamber, there is another ark, which is wrapped in a huge linen cover with golden rosettes, reminiscent of the night sky.
18 December 30, 1923 Carter, Mace, and an Egyptian laborer carefully fold the linen blanket.
94 years ago, on November 4, 1922, the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun was discovered in Egypt. The tomb is located in the Valley of the Kings, and this is the only tomb almost not plundered that has come down to 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. The tomb has preserved numerous decorations, 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 the Valley of the Kings of Egypt. The scientist managed to create a good reputation for himself, scrupulously describing and preserving discoveries.
Searches in the valley, which continued for many years, yielded very modest results, which over time brought Carter the wrath of the employer. In 1922, Lord Carnarvon told him that from next year he would stop funding the work.
1.1923 Lord Carnarvon, who financed the excavation, reads on the veranda of Carter's home near the Valley of the Kings.
Desperate for a breakthrough, Carter decided to return to a previously abandoned dig site. On November 4, 1922, his team discovered a step cut into the rock. By the end of the next day, an 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 gap in the corner of the door at the end of the stairs. Holding the candle, he looked inside.
"At first I did not see anything, hot air rushed out of the room, as a result of which the candle flame flickered, but soon, as soon as my eyes got used to the light, details of the room, strange animals, statues and gold, slowly appeared from the fog - everywhere the glitter of gold" ( Howard Carter).
A team of archaeologists have discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, the youth king who ruled Egypt from 1332 to about 1323 BC.
Despite the traces that the tomb was twice visited by ancient robbers, the contents of the room remained practically intact. The tomb was stuffed with thousands of priceless artifacts, including a sarcophagus with the mummified remains of Tutankhamun.
3.4 January 1924 Howard Carter, Arthur Callender, and an Egyptian laborer open the doors to get their first glimpse of Tut's sarcophagus.
Each object in the tomb was carefully described and cataloged before being removed. This process took almost eight years.
4. December 1922. Ceremonial bed in the form of the Heavenly Cow surrounded by supplies and other objects in the front room of the tomb.
These photographs, documenting the opening of the legendary tomb of Tutankhamun, were colored by Dynamichrome for The Discovery of King Tut, which opens 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.
6.1923 A set of canoes in the treasury of the tomb.
7. December 1922. A gilded lion bed and an inlaid chest garment are among other objects in the front room.
8. December 1922. There are several boxes and chests under the lion bed in the front room, as well as an ebony and ivory chair that Tutankhamun used as a child.
9.1923. The gilded bust of the Heavenly Cow Mehurt and the chests were in the treasury of the tomb.
10.1923 Chests inside the treasury.
12. January 1924. In the "laboratory" created in the tomb of Seti II, restorers Arthur Mays and Alfred Lucas clean one of the Ka statues from the front room.
13.November 29, 1923. Howard Carter, Arthur Callender, and an Egyptian laborer wrap one of the Ka statues for transportation.
14. December 1923. Arthur Mays and Alfred Lucas work with the golden chariot from the tomb of Tutankhamun outside the "laboratory" in the tomb of Seti II.
15.1923 Anubis statue on a funeral stretcher.
The 5th Earl of Carnarvon, George Herbert, hired Egyptologist and archaeologist Howard Carter in 1907 to observe and excavate in the Valley of the Kings, and 15 years later the long-awaited moment came - the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun. Photos of those years will tell us about how all this happened.
Searches in the valley, which continued for many years, yielded very modest results, which over time brought Carter the wrath of the employer. In 1922, Lord Carnarvon told him that from next year he would stop funding the work.
1923 year. Lord Carnarvon, who financed the excavation, reads on the veranda of Carter's home near the Valley of the Kings.
Desperate for a breakthrough, Carter decided to return to a previously abandoned dig site. On November 4, 1922, his team discovered a step cut into the rock. By the end of the next day, an 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 gap in the corner of the door at the end of the stairs. Holding the candle, he looked inside.
"At first I didn't see anything, hot air was blowing out of the room, causing the candle flame to flicker, but soon, as my eyes got used to the light, details of the room, strange animals, statues and gold, slowly emerged from the fog - everywhere the glint of gold."
Howard Carter
A team of archaeologists have discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, the youth king who ruled Egypt from 1332 to about 1323 BC.
November 1925. Death mask of Tutankhamun.
Despite the traces that ancient robbers visited the tomb twice, the contents of the room remained practically intact. The tomb was filled with thousands of priceless artifacts, including a sarcophagus with the mummified remains of Tutankhamun.
January 4, 1924. Howard Carter, Arthur Callender, and an Egyptian laborer open the doors to get their first glimpse of Tut's sarcophagus.
Each object in the tomb was carefully described and cataloged before being removed. This process took almost eight years.
December 1922. Ceremonial bed in the form of the Heavenly Cow, surrounded by supplies and other objects in the front room of the tomb.
December 1922. A gilded lion bed and other objects in the hallway. The wall of the burial chamber is guarded by black Ka statues.
1923 year. A set of canoes in the treasury of the tomb.
December 1922. A gilded lion bed and an inlaid chest garment are among other objects in the front room.
December 1922. Under the lion bed in the front room are several boxes and chests, as well as an ebony and ivory chair that Tutankhamun used as a child.
1923 year. The gilded bust of the Heavenly Cow Mehurt and the chests were in the treasury of the tomb.
1923 year. Chests inside the treasury.
December 1922. Decorative alabaster vases in the front room.
January 1924. In the "laboratory" created in the tomb of Seti II, restorers Arthur Mays and Alfred Lucas clean one of the Ka statues from the front room.
November 29, 1923. Howard Carter, Arthur Callender, and an Egyptian laborer wrap one of the Ka statues for transportation.
December 1923. Arthur Mays and Alfred Lucas work on the golden chariot from the tomb of Tutankhamun outside the "laboratory" in the tomb of Seti II.
1923 year. Anubis statue on a funeral stretcher.
December 2, 1923. Carter, Callender, and two workers remove the partition between the front room and the burial chamber.
December 1923. Inside the outer ark in the burial chamber, a huge linen cover with golden rosettes reminiscent of the night sky covers the smaller ark.
December 30, 1923. Carter, Mace, and an Egyptian laborer carefully fold the linen blanket.
December 1923. Carter, Callender, and two Egyptian workers carefully dismantle one of the golden arks in the burial chamber.
October 1925. Carter examines Tutankhamun's sarcophagus.
October 1925. Carter and a worker examine a solid gold sarcophagus.
