The Tomb of Tutankhamun: the Discovery that Changed the History of Archaeology
The tomb of Tutankhamun, catalogued as KV62 in the Valley of the Kings, is without doubt the most famous archaeological discovery of all time. Located on the western bank of the Nile at Luxor, this small royal burial has given the world a priceless treasure and ignited the imagination of millions of people across the planet. Despite its modest dimensions compared with the other royal tombs of the valley, KV62 has become the very symbol of ancient Egypt and of the eternal fascination this civilisation exerts over humanity.
The young pharaoh Tutankhamun, who ascended the throne around 1332 BC at about nine years of age, reigned for little more than a decade during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom. His historical importance was considered relatively marginal until the discovery of his intact tomb made him the most famous pharaoh in history.
The Discovery by Howard Carter
The Years of Searching
The story of the tomb's discovery is a gripping tale of perseverance and determination. The British archaeologist Howard Carter, financed by the wealthy Lord Carnarvon, had spent years systematically combing the Valley of the Kings in search of a tomb many believed did not exist. After six fruitless seasons of excavation, Lord Carnarvon was on the verge of withdrawing his financial support, but Carter persuaded him to fund one last campaign.
On 4 November 1922, a young water carrier accidentally discovered a step cut into the rock beneath the remains of ancient workmen's huts. Carter, with his heart in his mouth, had the area cleared and revealed a stairway leading to a sealed door. The royal seals were intact: the unmistakable sign that the tomb had not been violated by looters.
"Wonderful Things"
Carter immediately sent a telegram to Lord Carnarvon in England: "At last have made wonderful discovery in Valley. A magnificent tomb with seals intact. Re-covered same for your arrival. Congratulations." On 26 November 1922, in the presence of Lord Carnarvon, Carter made a small hole in the inner door of the tomb and, by the flickering light of a candle, peered inside.
When Carnarvon, impatient, asked "Can you see anything?", Carter spoke the words that would pass into legend: "Yes, wonderful things." What appeared before his eyes was an antechamber crammed with gilded objects, statues, war chariots, funerary beds and countless artefacts piled in magnificent disorder.
A Priceless Treasure
The tomb contained around 5,398 objects, a funerary assemblage of unprecedented richness. The most celebrated piece is undoubtedly the funerary mask of solid gold of Tutankhamun, weighing over 11 kilograms, which covered the face of the pharaoh's mummy. Made of fine gold and decorated with lapis lazuli, turquoise, carnelian and obsidian, this mask has become the most recognisable icon of ancient Egypt.
The pharaoh's sarcophagus consisted of three anthropomorphic coffins nested one inside the other like Russian dolls: the first two in gilded wood, the third entirely of solid gold, weighing over 110 kilograms. The body of the young pharaoh, mummified with extraordinary skill, wore more than 150 protective jewels and amulets.
The Structure of the Tomb
A Surprisingly Small Tomb
By the standards of the Valley of the Kings, the tomb of Tutankhamun is surprisingly small, made up of just four chambers: the antechamber, the annex, the burial chamber and the treasury. The reduced dimensions have fuelled the theory that the tomb was originally intended for a court official and then hastily adapted for the young pharaoh, who died suddenly at around nineteen years of age.
The antechamber, the first room discovered, measured about 8 x 3.6 metres and contained most of the funerary objects. Ceremonial beds in the form of animals, dismantled chariots, chests, vases and guardian statues were crammed into a relatively confined space.
The Burial Chamber
The burial chamber is the only room in the tomb to be decorated with wall paintings. The walls are covered with scenes depicting the pharaoh's funeral, the ritual of the Opening of the Mouth, the journey to the afterlife and the meeting with the deities. The colours, vivid and well preserved, show the pharaoh welcomed by Osiris, Nut and other deities of the Egyptian pantheon.
Inside the burial chamber the four gilded shrines that originally surrounded the stone sarcophagus still stand, creating a nested-box structure of extraordinary ritual complexity. These shrines, almost three metres high, were covered with religious texts and divine images.
The Treasury
The treasury, accessible from the burial chamber, contained the alabaster canopic chest with the pharaoh's viscera, themselves kept in four small coffins of solid gold. In this room was also the celebrated statue of Anubis, the jackal god guardian of the dead, lying on a gilded shrine, watching over the entrance to the chamber.
The Pharaoh's Curse
The Birth of the Legend
The death of Lord Carnarvon on 5 April 1923, a few months after the opening of the tomb, unleashed one of the most persistent legends of popular culture: the pharaoh's curse. Carnarvon died in Cairo, apparently from an infection caused by a mosquito bite aggravated by a cut while shaving. However, the press of the time, in particular the Daily Express, fuelled the narrative of a supernatural curse.
It is told that, at the moment of Carnarvon's death, the lights of Cairo mysteriously went out and that his dog in England howled and died at that same instant. In the months and years that followed, several members of the expedition and visitors to the tomb died in more or less natural circumstances, further fuelling the legend.
The Scientific Reality
In reality, epidemiological studies have shown that there was no statistical anomaly in the mortality rates among those who entered the tomb. Howard Carter himself, the man more than any other exposed to the supposed curse, lived until 1939, dying at the age of 64. The "curse" was largely a journalistic invention that contributed enormously to the fame of the discovery and to the Egyptomania that swept the world in the 1920s.
The Boy Pharaoh
Life and Reign
Tutankhamun was probably born around 1341 BC with the name Tutankhaten ("living image of Aten"). He was the son of the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten, who had attempted to impose the exclusive worship of the solar god Aten. After Akhenaten's death, the very young prince ascended the throne and, under the guidance of the powerful advisers Ay and Horemheb, restored the traditional worship of Amun, changing his own name to Tutankhamun ("living image of Amun").
His reign was marked by the restoration of the traditional order after the tumultuous Amarna period. Studies of his mummy have revealed that the young pharaoh suffered from several conditions, including a club foot, malaria and a fracture to the leg that may have contributed to his premature death.
An Unsolved Mystery
The circumstances of Tutankhamun's death remain debated. X-rays and CT scans of the mummy have revealed a bone fragment inside the skull, initially interpreted as evidence of a blow to the head, fuelling theories of murder. More recent analyses, however, suggest that the fragment became detached post-mortem during the mummification process. The theory currently most widely accepted points to a combination of malaria, bone infection and complications related to the femur fracture.
The KV62 Replica
To preserve the original tomb from the wear caused by thousands of daily visitors, a faithful replica of the burial chamber has been made, known as the KV62 Copy or Facsimile of Tutankhamun's Tomb, located near Howard Carter's House. This reproduction, made by Factum Arte using ultra-high-resolution three-dimensional scanning technologies, is practically indistinguishable from the original and offers visitors an immersive experience without contributing to the deterioration of the authentic tomb.
Tips for the Visit
Practical Information
The tomb of Tutankhamun is in the Valley of the Kings, reachable from the western bank of Luxor. Access requires a specific ticket, separate from the general Valley of the Kings ticket, because of the high cost of preserving the tomb. The number of daily visitors is limited to protect the delicate wall paintings.
How to Organise the Visit
It is advisable to arrive at the Valley of the Kings at opening time, 6:00 in the morning, to avoid the crowds and the intense heat. The visit to the tomb lasts about 30 minutes, during which you can admire the burial chamber with its paintings and the outer quartzite sarcophagus. Photography is forbidden inside the tomb.
What to Expect
Visitors are often surprised by the small dimensions of the tomb. After admiring grandiose reconstructions in museums and documentaries, the reality of a small underground space can seem disappointing. Yet the awareness of standing in the exact place where the most famous treasure in history lay hidden for over three thousand years gives the experience a unique and indescribable emotion.
Combining the Visit
It is advisable to combine the visit to the tomb of Tutankhamun with the other tombs of the Valley of the Kings, in particular those of Seti I and Ramesses VI, and with the nearby Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. The Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza now houses the complete collection of Tutankhamun's treasure, including the celebrated golden mask, offering the ideal complement to the visit to the tomb.
Recommended Period
The best time to visit the Valley of the Kings is from October to April, when temperatures are milder. In the summer months, the temperature in the valley can exceed 45°C, making the visit extremely tiring. Always bring plenty of water, sun protection and a hat. Closed, comfortable shoes are indispensable for moving over the rocky and dusty ground of the valley.
The tomb of Tutankhamun represents far more than an archaeological site: it is the place where history meets legend, where the death of a young king became the immortal symbol of one of the greatest civilisations ever to have existed on Earth.
