First discovered in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter, a curse is said to have befallen all who dare trespass on the final resting place of the Egyptian Pharaoh.
Although many of the artifacts found from Pharaoh Tut’s tomb were kept in museums where they remain today, there are allegations that the original explorers, including Mr. Carter, may have kept some of those priceless Ancient Egyptian relics for himself. Thanks to the recently revealed contents of a 1934 letter to Carter, the truth has now been revealed.
Who is Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen?
Often called the “Boy King”, Pharaoh Tutankhamun ruled Egypt for about a decade before dying at the age of 19 in 1324 BC. Through genetic testing, people now know that Tutankhamun is the grandson of Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III and likely the son of Pharaoh Akhenaten.
Aside from the reversal of the religious reforms, which brought Egypt out of a polytheistic society, Tut’s time on the throne of Egypt was unremarkable and largely forgotten before the human archaeologist His tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in the 1920s. In that tomb, Tut’s mummy was found, providing unparalleled insight into the life of the young Egyptian ruler.
Since then, people have learned many things about Tut’s short life, such as how he died. A 1968 X-ray showed a hole in the back of Tut’s skull, leading some to speculate that the young Pharaoh had been assassinated.
Instead, historically, many believe that Tut’s death may have been due to complications related to a broken leg, revealed by a CT scan performed in 1995. Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo (2005), agreed with the hypothesis of Tut’s leg – not a murder plot.
After centuries of obscurity, when Tut’s tomb was discovered and the artifacts found were put on display, Tut became an internationally famous figure 3,000 years after his death. That interest ushered in a period of intense fascination with Ancient Egypt that endures to this day.
The best-preserved tomb of a Pharaoh to date has been discovered
Part of what attracted so much publicity about the discovery of Pharaoh Tut’s tomb was how well preserved it was. Traditionally, the Pharaoh often brought with him a number of priceless artifacts, many of which were made from solid gold, as well as countless jewelry and amulets down to the tomb.
Much of what was stored in the tombs of ancient Egyptian Pharaohs played some role in the afterlife. During mummification, internal organs are removed from the body and stored with the person being embalmed in so-called “classical urns”. However, the heart remained intact, as the Egyptians believed that it would be weighed in the afterlife to measure how well the Pharaoh lived while they were alive.
What the explorers found in Tut’s tomb was a solid gold portrait mask weighing about 24 pounds, 3 gold coffins, and thousands of other artifacts from ancient times, such as carriages and clothing items from that period.
Over the millennia, the entrance to Tut’s tomb has been obscured by debris, and its location has been hidden from history. At the time that Carter’s achievements were announced, he also claimed that the tomb had been raided in previous centuries by grave robbers and that for that reason some relics may be missing.
Where are the artifacts from Pharaoh Tut’s tomb?
In 1923, with permission from Egyptian officials, Pharaoh Tut’s tomb was officially opened a year after the discovery was announced. After Carter and his team cataloged and cleaned up the relics they found buried with Tut, countless priceless discoveries were then transferred to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, where they are on display. permanently in the touring exhibition “The Treasures of Tutankhamun”.
From the beginning, there were suspicions that Howard Carter and his team opened Tut’s tomb themselves before its official unveiling in 1923 under the careful watch of Egyptian officials. The theory is that Carter may have sealed the tomb and then closed it again for the official unveiling.
For this reason, some believe that Carter and others may have taken priceless objects for themselves, only to blame what went missing on ancient tomb robbers. For example, in 1947, an employee of Carter alleged that the British archaeologist had actually tampered with the tomb before 1923 and taken the objects for himself, but there was no evidence.
