Tomb of Tutankhamen - what secret does the tomb of the pharaoh hide? Opening of the tomb of ancient egypt pharaoh tutankhamun

The story of the tomb of Tutankhamun, the world-famous ancient Egyptian pharaoh, is summarized in this article. The report on the tomb of Tutankhamen can be supplemented with interesting facts.

"Tomb of Tutankhamen" brief message

Tutankhamen was pharaoh XVIII dynasty pharaohs of Egypt, and he ruled the kingdom in 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, to which the hands of the robbers practically did not touch.

The tomb of the pharaoh was discovered in the Valley of the Kings. And this is the only tomb that came to the researchers in its original form. This despite the fact that thieves obviously hid it twice. The tomb was discovered in 1922 by two Englishmen - Egyptologist Howard Carter and amateur archaeologist Lord George Carnarvon. Here they found a lot of jewelry, a gold sarcophagus with the body of a mummified pharaoh. But more about everything.

The history of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen

The search for the tomb of Tutankhamun began in 1916. The idea of ​​the 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 for 6 years went to their goal. Having dug up all the sites, they did not affect a small part of the territory, where, in their opinion, were the huts of the tomb builders.

Under the first shack, Egyptologists discovered a step leading down. Having begun to clear the stairs, the archaeologists below saw the walled door of the tomb. It was a sensation. The opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun happened on November 3, 1922. The first phase of this work has been completed. Carter decided to wait for Lord Carnarvon, who was in London.

November 25, 1922 they went down to the tomb. Having reached the door, Carter realized that the tomb of Tutankhamun had already been opened before him, moreover, 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 robbers' activity. But inside they were waiting for a real surprise-mystery: why did the pharaoh's treasures remain untouched? The surprise of archaeologists knew no bounds. After doing numerous jobs, Carter arrived at a room full of various items.

So what was found in Tutankhamun's tomb? In the first two rooms, vases, a golden throne, caskets, writing materials, lamps, a golden chariot, numerous golden ornaments, precious stones, household items, and sawn ships were found. Carter was particularly impressed standing friend Opposite a friend are black sculptures of the pharaoh, in golden sandals and aprons, with wands, maces and a sacred cobra on his forehead. He also saw a beautiful feather fan, which crumbled into dust at the touch of hands.

Archaeologists, when they came to their senses after seeing the amount of treasures, found that there was no sarcophagus in these rooms. So, there is still a burial room.

Between the sculptures of the pharaoh, a sealed third room was discovered. 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 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 almost decayed.

Study of the burial room

The burial room was lined with upholstered gold plates and decorated with blue mosaics. It opened in mid-February. They also found a case in which the sarcophagus was located. On one side of the case were folding doors, bolted, though without a seal. Behind them is another, smaller one, without a mosaic, but with a pharaoh's seal. Hanging over it was a cloak of sequined linen, fastened to wooden cornices. After the archaeologists dismantled the last case, the cover of a large sarcophagus made of yellow quartzite was opened before the researchers. Lifting the lid, Carter found a huge gilded relief portrait of Tutankhamen. In fact, it was the lid of a two-meter coffin with the contours of a male figure.

The golden sarcophagus contained the darkened and petrified mummy of Tutankhamen. 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 Tutankhamen.

Where are the items from the tomb of Tutankhamen?

Items from the tomb of the pharaoh are in different museums of our planet. Today, most of the exhibits are at the Grand Egyptian Museum. The pharaoh's posthumous golden mask and sarcophagus are exhibited in the Cairo Museum.

Tomb of Tutankhamen: interesting facts

Tomography of the body of Tutankhamun in 2005 showed that the pharaoh had a height of 180 cm) and ate well.

Tutankhamun and his wife had no children, although Ankhesenpaaten had miscarriages twice. The bodies of two stillborn baby girls were mummified and placed in Tutankhamun's tomb in small coffins.

There is a legend about the curse of Tutankhamun's tomb. The tomb is associated with a series of deaths of several researchers who studied the burial. Lord Carnarvon, who financed the excavations, was the first among the explorers to die. 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 led all the work in the tomb, was the last to die, in 1939 at the age of 66.

We hope that the "Tomb of Tutankhamun" report helped you prepare for the lesson. And what you know about the tomb of Tutankhamun, you can leave through the comment form below.

Tutankhamen is one of the most famous and famous pharaohs of Egypt. Today this name is very popular and known to almost everyone. Very often, this name and the image of his golden mask of Tutankhamen are used by various firms, companies and shops. However, of particular interest is the phenomenon associated with the burial place of the pharaoh. It was the tomb of Tutankhamen that gave rise to many disputes and legends.

As you know, the pyramid of Tutankhamun never existed - during the reign of this pharaoh, the pyramids were not built, and a tomb carved into the rock was used to bury the pharaohs. But although there was no pyramid of Tutankhamen, he is one of the most famous pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, who kept his treasures for three thousand years.

This ancient Egyptian ruler also gained popularity thanks to the legend of a curse that overtook everyone who dared to disturb his peace. But, in fact, the death of archaeologists came as a result of the lack of ventilation in the tomb of Tutankhamun. At scientific research, which were held in the tomb of the pharaoh, it was found that, unlike the real pyramids built in the Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun's pyramid was not equipped with a ventilation system.

The pyramid of Cheops was equipped with a functioning and efficient system ventilation, although today it can be argued that it was extremely simple. Blowers were made in the stone, which not only helped fresh air to penetrate into the tomb of the pharaoh, but also to go outside the carbon dioxide accumulating in the pyramid.

According to scientists, the equipment of the ventilation system was one of the main tasks facing the builders. In fact, the ventilation system helped keep the mummy and all those luxury items that were in the pyramid intact. According to the ancient Egyptians, the pharaoh's soul could travel through the ventilation system - fly out of the pyramid and return back.

As you know, none of the scientists involved in the study of real pyramids died as suddenly as the archaeologists excavating the tomb of Tutankhamen. Therefore, experts are inclined to believe that it was thanks to ventilation that archaeologists exploring the pyramids remained alive.

Construction of Tutankhamun's tomb

The burial place included several rooms and a central room where the sarcophagus of the young king stood. All storerooms were filled with a mass of ancient artifacts and valuables. There were four royal chariots bound with gold, magnificent royal beds with the heads of animals, a golden throne, on the back of which the image of the deceased pharaoh and his wife was made of precious stones. Fragrant ointments were stored in miraculous vessels made of transparent alabaster. Roasted geese and hams were found in wooden cases - the food of the young king in his afterlife. Numerous chests with clothes, jewelry, shoes, and vessels filled the pantries.

At the entrance were statues of the pharaoh himself, guarding the doors that led to the central room. When the door was opened, the scientists saw a solid golden wall, decorated with turquoise tiles. It was a huge box - a sarcophagus, which occupied almost the entire room. On one side of the box there were doors sealed with a seal with the name of Tutankhamun and closed with a bronze bolt.

Three thousand years have passed since the seal of the pharaoh was placed on these doors, and now they creaked again, but already at the hand of an archaeologist. The first case has been removed. Beneath it was a second, just as ornate. The piers between the first and second sarcophagi were also filled with things. There were two magnificent golden ostrich-feather fans, wonderful alabaster vessels and many other valuable things.

The third coffin was made of expensive carved gilded oak. When it was also removed, under it was a sarcophagus made of pink granite of extraordinary beauty. Having removed the lid, scientists saw a gilded bed, on which there was a sarcophagus in the form of a mummy. It was covered with sheets of gold and sparkled with precious stones.

The last case, in which the mummy of Pharaoh Tutankhamen lay, wrapped in 16 linen sheets, was made of pure gold. On the face of the mummy was a golden mask, a portrait of a young pharaoh. On the mummy found a huge amount of gold jewelry - necklaces and bracelets. Gold forged sandals were worn on the feet, fingers and toes were enclosed in gold cases. The treasures found in the tomb of the young king had no price. But it was not yet the richest burial of the ancient Egyptian rulers.

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

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

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 has come down to 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 millennia - history of the civilization of Ancient Egypt.

She 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, which went to the Institute of Egypt, created shortly before that, for storage.

A real Egyptomania began - Europe discovered a huge ancient civilization: with pyramids, sphinxes and pharaohs. Explorers, travelers, artists and adventurers were drawn to Egypt.

In 1822, the orientalist Francois 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 for the redistribution of the colonies, among which was Egypt, they were interested in studying it. It became fashionable among the elite to collect Egyptian antiquities. 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. Soon he was appointed chief inspector of antiquities in Upper Egypt.

Photo: General view of 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 place that glorified him - in the Valley of the Kings. He lost his post after a brawl between rowdy 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 lover of antiquities, Lord Carnarvon. Tom was able to obtain permission to excavate extensively in the Valley of the Kings, and after a delay caused by the First World War, Carter set to 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 this that was crowned with success when, finally, on November 4, 1922, in the desert rocks of Deir el-Bahri, an Egyptian water-carrier boy hired by Carter noticed a step carved into the rock.

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

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

The discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb was a huge breakthrough due to the fact that it was preserved almost intact. It contained jewelry, seals with the name of Tutankhamen, wreaths of flowers, skeins of linen, 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 with the mummified body of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Left photo: Howard Carter and Tutankhamen's sarcophagus. Photo: Harry Burton Right photo: Howard Carter at Tutankhamun's sarcophagus (colorized photograph) © Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images

The 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 excavations. Eventually Carnarvon, wanting to improve his financial affairs, sold the exclusive rights to cover the excavations to a newspaper. The Times for £5,000 and 75% of worldwide article sales. Journalists from other publications were furious, but Carter's team breathed more freely - the flow of journalists to the tomb had decreased.

In April 1923, less than six months after the opening of the tomb, Lord Carnarvon died suddenly of 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 death from the curse to three dozen people who had anything to do with the tomb. An inscription allegedly carved on the wall of the tomb wandered through the pages of newspapers: “Those who enter this sacred tomb will soon be visited by the wings of death.” Of course, fictional.

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

In 2002, epidemiologist Mark Nelson of Monash University in Australia studied the historical evidence and traced the fate of the Europeans whom 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 mummy’s malignant influence, as they were present at the key work in the tomb: the opening of the inner sanctuary, the opening of Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus, the opening of three golden coffins enclosed in it and the study of the pharaoh’s mummy. The average age of death for this group turned out to be 70 years - while after the opening of the tomb they lived, again on average for the group, for about 21 more years. Those who also collaborated with Carter during the opening of the tomb, but were not present at the opening even once (11 people), lived about five years longer ... but were on average the same five years younger. Thus, Nelson concluded, none of the members of the Carter archaeological team suffered a terrible and sudden death and there can be no question of any curse of 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 a “media hype”. The sinister image of the avenging mummy, however, has become so fond of the public that it has become part of the world's 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, the period of its 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-language literature, Tut, himself became one of the most famous kings of Ancient Egypt. But scientists have not been able to learn 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 struck both his contemporaries and archaeologists with the fact that - 1300 years before Christianity! - proclaimed in the pagan state the monotheistic cult of the single sun god Aton and took the name Akhenaten in honor of him. The cult, however, died out with the death of the ruler. Akhenaten's wife Nefertiti, apparently, was not the mother of Tutankhamun. He himself by ancient tradition rulers of Ancient Egypt, 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 deeds are known from the inscription on the so-called Restoration Stele. It follows from it that Tutankhamun refused to continue the "monotheistic revolution" of his father and began to restore the sanctuaries of the ancient gods, led by Amon. He also left his father's residence - Amarna, and she 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 ~1327 BC depicting Tutankhamen defeating his enemies. Photo: Yann Forget

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

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

At the same time, studies did not confirm that the pharaoh had diseases of the endocrine system and Marfan's syndrome, due to which the limbs and fingers are disproportionately lengthened, although there were suspicions of this. Numerous images and reliefs of his father - Akhenaten - show his obviously feminine figure and probable gynecomastia. Scientists assumed that these are hereditary features, and they could manifest themselves in the son, but studies have not confirmed this. Scanning the mummy with a tomograph led scientists to assume that Tut died at the age of about 19 years.

Left photo: G. Carter and A. Callender systematize finds from the tomb of Tutankhamen © Hulton Archive/Getty Images. Right photo: Valuables found in Tutankhamen's tomb © Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images

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

In the tomb, along with Tutankhamun, eleven of his relatives were buried, including his sister-wife Ankhesenamun and six more 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 obsessed explorers of the tomb, continued to work in it. He noticed that the tomb of Tutankhamen is much smaller than the tombs of other pharaohs, which means that it could be built for the queen. Perhaps the pharaoh got there only because of his sudden death and the lack of a more suitable place for burial. Then the queen herself, obviously, should lie somewhere nearby. Reeves shared this assumption with the ex-Minister of Antiquities of Egypt, Mamdouh al-Damati, and received permission to conduct GPR studies of the tomb.

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

In 2000, radar showed that there was indeed a cavity 14 meters outside the walls of Tutankhamen's burial chamber, as well as, probably, objects made of bone, wood and metal. Reeves gave this cavity the name KV63, thus classifying it as part of the complex of rooms of the tomb (the burial chamber, for example, has the name KV62). Since then, there have been ongoing disputes between archaeologists and the Egyptian authorities about whether there really is another burial chamber in the thickness of the rock, whether there is something worthwhile in it and whether excavations should be started.

In the meantime, it is strictly forbidden to violate the integrity of the burial, so for the time being, especially impatient researchers are forced to resort to "secondary sources". For example, to 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 examining the data obtained, Reeves made out traces of two previously unknown doorways behind the ornamentation of the walls. They, in his opinion, are nothing more than entrances to other rooms of the tomb, and it is there that Nefertiti is waiting for the visit of archaeologists.

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

Other researchers 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 there was a 90 percent chance of something there. But whether there is exactly the sarcophagus of Nefertiti is still a mystery, and the scientific community continued to remain skeptical about this idea. Sergei Ivanov, director of the Egyptological Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, then suggested that the "secret room" was actually just an unfinished tomb, the entrance to which was laid as unnecessary. Watanabe's methods were also questioned by his colleagues - the researcher was criticized for using outdated radar scanning methods and their interpretation.

Since then, a story about the cavity in the tomb of Tutankhamen and the possible presence of Nefertiti has been popping up in the media with enviable regularity, but there has been no fresh news from the tomb. Scholars and Egyptian officials are skeptical of Reeves' ideas. Breaking open the walls in the burial room is still prohibited.

November 2012 marks 90 years since the English archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered the entrance to the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor. Great treasures awaited the explorers there. And the deaths that followed the discovery gave rise to a wave of rumors about the "curse of the pharaoh."

Pharaoh Tutankhamen was a very insignificant ruler and did not become famous in history for absolutely nothing. We only know that he died very young. And if it were not for the monuments from his tomb, the name of Tutankhamen would have been mentioned only in a narrow circle of Egyptologists. But in November 1922, one of the largest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century took place - in the "Valley of the Kings" for the first time an unplundered royal tomb was discovered, containing a complete burial complex of objects unique in terms of preservation and artistic value.

The honor of opening the tomb of Tutankhamun belongs to the English archaeologist Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon, who financed the expedition. A wealthy, independent man, sportsman, art collector and traveler who circumnavigated the world in a sailboat, Lord Carnarvon became fascinated with antiquities as a young man.

He was a frequenter of antique shops, collecting old engravings and drawings. In archeology, he saw opportunities to combine two passions that overwhelmed him - to sports and gathering, and since 1906, Carnarvon, first on his own, and then in collaboration with professional archaeologist Howard Carter, led excavations in the "Valley of the Kings". So, as a result of purposeful long-term archaeological searches, a great discovery took place.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the expedition of the American Theodore Davis discovered in the "Valley of the Kings", in a cache under a rock, a faience goblet with the name of Tutankhamun on it. Nearby, in a deepening of the rock, sealed clay vessels were found, in which there were headbands of mourners and other items, also with the name of Tutankhamun, and a wooden box was found in the mine-tomb discovered by Davis. On the fragments of the golden plate, which lay in the box, the name of Tutankhamun was also indicated.

Davis concluded that the tomb-mine he discovered was the burial place of this pharaoh. But Howard Carter was convinced otherwise: all these items were used during the burial of the pharaoh, and after the completion of the ceremony, they were collected, placed in vessels and hidden not far from the tomb. Therefore, Tutankhamun's tomb is somewhere nearby!

One of Tutankhamen's sandals.
In February 1915, Carter and Carnarvon began a systematic search. It was a rather bold step: the "Valley of the Kings" was considered well studied by that time, dozens of expeditions visited it, and the whole scientific world was convinced that the time of great discoveries in the "Valley of the Kings" had passed.

Nevertheless, Carter and Carnarvon were firmly convinced of success. “At the risk of being accused of being far-sighted in hindsight, I nevertheless feel obliged to state that we firmly hoped to find a very specific tomb, namely, the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen,” Carter wrote later.

Carefully, meter by meter, his staff examined the "Valley of the Kings". The entire area where Tutankhamun's tomb could be located was cleared of soil. Only a small piece of land turned out to be unexplored, on which there were shacks where the workers of the necropolis lived.

“Season after season went by with no results,” Howard Carter recalled. - We were splitting for months, toiled with the utmost effort and did not find anything. Only an archaeologist knows this feeling of hopeless depression. We were already beginning to accept our defeat and were preparing to leave the Valley to try our luck elsewhere.”

General view of the excavations in the eastern part of the Valley of the Kings.

Headboard on the royal couch from the first chamber of Tutankhamun's tomb.
On the day when the archaeologists began demolishing the workers' huts and excavating the last uncleared section of the territory, a discovery was made. On November 3, 1922, a step carved into the rock was discovered under the first broken hut. When the stairs were cleared, a doorway appeared at the level of the twelfth step, bricked up and sealed with a seal. Archaeologists stood on the threshold of a mystery...

“The suddenness of this discovery so stunned me, and the following months were so filled with events that I hardly found time to collect my thoughts and think it all over,” wrote Carter. He examined the seal: it was the seal of the royal necropolis with the image of a jackal and nine prisoners. Consequently, there, in the tomb, rested the ashes of some high-ranking person.

Trembling with impatience, Carter punched a hole in the door large enough to fit an electric bulb in, 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.

On the morning of November 6, Carter sent a telegram to Carnarvon: “A remarkable discovery has finally been made in the Valley. A magnificent tomb with intact seals. Before your arrival, everything is backfilled. Congratulations".

Carter spent more than two weeks in agonizing expectation. On November 23, Lord Carnarvon, along with his daughter Lady Evelyn, arrived in Luxor.

On November 24, the door was completely cleared. In its lower part, an imprint of a seal with the clearly readable name of Tutankhamun was found. There was no doubt - it was the tomb of the pharaoh.

But the joy of the discovery was combined with great anxiety: it turned out that part of the bricked-up entrance to the tomb had been opened twice in succession and then re-sealed. Therefore, the robbers visited the tomb. But did they manage to destroy it? - that's what now worried the researchers.

On the back wall of the chair you can see a drawing depicting the pharaoh and his wife Ankhesenamun.
“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 opened twice and closed up again; the seals we found earlier - a jackal and nine captives - were attached to that part of the wall that was being opened, while the seals of Tutankhamun, with which the tomb was originally sealed, were on the other, lower part of the wall. Thus, the tomb was not at all, as we hoped, completely untouched. Robbers have been in it, and even more than once,” writes Carter. But the fact that the tomb was sealed again indicated that the robbers had not been able to clean it completely.

Having cleared the gallery, the archaeologists came across a second door, also sealed. The decisive moment has come.

“With trembling hands,” recalls Carter, “I made a small hole in the upper left corner of the bricked wall. The darkness and emptiness into which the probe went freely for its entire length indicated that behind this wall there was no longer a blockage, as in the gallery we had just cleared. Fearing a buildup of gas, we first lit a candle. Then, expanding the hole a little, I put a candle in it and looked inside. Lord Carnarvon, Lady Evelyn and Collender (Egyptologist, member of the expedition. - Author), standing behind me, anxiously awaited the verdict.

At first I didn't see anything. Warm air rushed out of the room, and the candle flame flickered. But gradually, when the eyes got used to the semi-darkness, the details of the room began to slowly emerge from the darkness. Here were slim figures beasts, statues and gold - gold shimmered everywhere! For a moment - this moment seemed like an eternity to those who stood behind me - I was literally taken aback with amazement.

Unable to contain himself any longer, Lord Carnarvon anxiously asked me: “Do you see anything?” The only thing I could answer him was: “Yes, wonderful things.” Then, widening the hole so that two of us could look into it, we put an electric torch inside.

By the light of a lantern, fantastic animals with burning eyes appeared out of the darkness, large statues of dull gleaming, a massive golden throne, alabaster and golden vessels ... The heads of outlandish animals cast monstrous shadows on the walls. Like sentries, two statues of ebony stood one against the other, in wide golden aprons, in golden sandals, with clubs and wands. Their foreheads wrapped in golden images sacred snakes. Eyes inlaid with white paste and alabaster shone in the darkness.

“There can be no doubt that throughout history archaeological sites no one has yet seen anything more magnificent than what our lantern pulled out of the gloom, ”said Carter, when the first excitement subsided.

His words were confirmed when the door was opened and a beam of light from a strong electric lamp danced on a golden stretcher, on a massive golden throne, on mattly gleaming statues, on alabaster vases ... On the threshold lay a garland of flowers - the last tribute to the deceased.

As if spellbound, Carnarvon and Carter stood looking at all this dead luxury and traces of life preserved for so many millennia. A lot of time passed before they woke up and made sure that there was neither a sarcophagus nor a mummy in this room ...

Walking around all the rooms step by step, the archaeologists found another, third, sealed door between the statues of sentries. “In our minds, we already had a whole suite of rooms similar to the one in which we were, also filled with treasures, and we were breathtaking,” recalled Carter.

On November 27, archaeologists examined the door and made sure that next to the door, right at floor level, there is a passage, also sealed, but later than the door itself. So, the robbers managed to visit here too? But what could be hidden behind this door? And why did the robbers try to get through the third door without paying any attention to the riches that were in front of them? What unheard of treasure were they looking for, even if they calmly passed by a pile of golden things that lay in the first room?

Carter and Carnarvon already knew that something quite unusual awaited them behind the third door. But, despite the impatience that burned them, they decided to act methodically and consistently.

Throughout the autumn and winter, archaeologists systematically cleared the tomb and removed from it the finds made in the first chamber. There were about seven hundred different items. From the pier on the Nile, a narrow-gauge railway was laid directly to the tomb of Tutankhamun, along which heavy boxes were delivered to a specially chartered steamer.

The distance was short - only one and a half kilometers, but since there were not enough rails, we had to resort to tricks: when the trolley passed a certain distance, the path behind it was dismantled, and the removed rails were laid in front of the trolley. So the precious finds made their way back three millennia after they were solemnly delivered from the banks of the Nile to the tomb of the deceased king. Seven days later they were in Cairo.

On Friday, February 17, 1923, at 2 pm, about twenty people gathered in the front room of the tomb - scientists and members of the government. None of them suspected what they were destined to see in just two hours.

With the greatest precautions, Carter began to dismantle the brickwork hiding the entrance to the second room. The work was hard and time-consuming: the bricks could collapse and damage what was behind the door. When the first hole was made, “the temptation to immediately stop work and look into the expanding hole was so great that I could hardly resist it,” writes Carter. Ten minutes later, he pushed an electric torch through the enlarged hole.

What he saw was completely unexpected, incredible and incomprehensible: in front of him was ... a blank wall! And only when the hole was widened even more, everyone present saw that it was a wall of pure gold ...

What Carter initially mistook for a wall was actually just the front wall of the world's largest and most expensive sarcophagus.

It took two hours of hard work to widen the hole enough to be entered. The burial chamber, as it turned out, was about a meter lower than the front room. Carter entered it first. In front of him rose from top to bottom a sarcophagus covered with sheet gold measuring 5.2 x 3.35 x 2.75 m, which occupied almost the entire room. Only a narrow passage, about 65 cm wide, full of funeral offerings, separated it from the wall.

The large double doors of the sarcophagus located on the eastern side were, although bolted, but not sealed. With a trembling hand, Carter pushed back the bolt. The doors creaked open, revealing another gold-studded box in front of him. Like the first one, it was locked. But this time the seal was intact!

It was truly a high point for Carter and Carnarvon. They discovered the first and so far the only unplundered burial place of an Egyptian pharaoh! It seemed that more success could not be expected. Nevertheless, this success was still waiting for them!

Having reached the other end of the burial chamber, they suddenly found a small door that led to the third room - a relatively small room. “Even a cursory glance was enough to understand that it was here that the greatest treasures of the tomb were located,” Carter later wrote.

In the middle of the room stood a chest covered with gold. It was surrounded by statues of four guardian goddesses. Their faces are so filled with compassion and sorrow that "the mere contemplation of them seemed almost blasphemy."

The study of this greatest discovery in the history of archeology stretched over several years. In the winter of 1926/27 The gold-studded sarcophagus was opened. In it was the second, in the second - the third ...

“Suppressing my excitement, I proceeded to open the third box,” wrote Carter. - I will probably never forget this most intense moment of our painstaking work. I cut the rope, removed the precious seal, pushed back the bolt, opened the doors, and... the fourth box was in front of us. It was exactly the same as the others, only more luxurious and beautiful than the third one. Uncertainty lies ahead...

What was hidden behind the unsealed doors of this box? In terrible excitement, I pushed back the bolt. The doors opened slowly. In front of us, filling almost the entire box, stood a huge, completely intact sarcophagus of yellow crystalline sandstone. It seemed as if someone's merciful hands had just lowered its lid. What an unforgettable, magnificent sight! The golden glow of the box further enhanced the impression. At the four corners of the sarcophagus, the wings of the goddess were spread, as if protecting and guarding the one who slept here with eternal sleep.

It took 84 days to remove the top two boxes and empty the burial chamber. Finally, on February 3, they saw the royal sarcophagus in all its splendor - carved from a solid yellow quartzite block, 2.75 m long, one and a half meters wide and one and a half meters high. From above it was covered with a granite slab.

On the day when the winches began to lift this slab, which weighed about 1.5 tons, many people again gathered in the tomb. “When the plate began to rise, there was dead silence. At first, everyone was disappointed: nothing but tarred linen bandages. But when the bandages were unwound, everyone saw the dead pharaoh "...

So it seemed at first glance. It was not the mummy of the pharaoh that was born, but his sculptural portrait made of gold. The gold shone dazzlingly, and the whole sculpture looked as if it had just been brought from the workshop. In his crossed hands, the pharaoh held the signs of royal dignity: a rod and a whip inlaid with lapis lazuli and blue paste. Blue lapis lazuli glittered on the king's headband. The face was made of pure gold, the eyes of aragonite and obsidian, the eyebrows and eyelids of glass the color of lapis lazuli. This face resembled in its immobility a mask, and at the same time it was as if alive. A modest wreath lay nearby - the last “forgive” to your beloved spouse from a young widow ...

The archaeologists removed the golden cover. Under it was the second, depicting the pharaoh lying in rich decoration in the form of the god Osiris. The same thing was seen when the third coffin was opened. In the course of this work, its participants drew attention to the fact that the coffins were very heavy. The reason for this astonishing heaviness became clear at first glance: the third coffin, 1.85 meters long, was made of solid solid gold three millimeters thick. It was difficult to even approximate the value of this treasure.

Seven sarcophagi placed one inside the other were opened by archaeologists before they got to the eighth, which contained the pharaoh's mummy. The final decisive moment has arrived. Several golden studs were taken out, then the lid of the coffin was lifted by the golden brackets. Before the archaeologists lay Tutankhamun ...

“The complex and conflicting feelings that take possession of a person at such moments cannot be expressed in words,” Carter recalled. He saw "... a noble, with regular features, full of calm, gentle youthful face with clearly defined lips." It turned out that Tutankhamun was of small stature and frail build; at the time of his death he was about 18–19 years old.

The mummy was decorated with just an incredible amount of jewelry. The face was covered with a mask of hammered gold with portrait features of the pharaoh. Under each layer of bandages, more and more treasures were discovered. Pharaoh was literally strewn from head to toe with gold and precious stones!

But even greater treasures were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. Here were countless items of material and spiritual culture of the ancient Egyptians, and each of them could serve as a sufficient reward for a winter of difficult archaeological excavations. Moreover, the Egyptian art of an entire era was presented here in such a variety and such perfect samples that Carter had only a cursory glance to understand that a careful study of all these treasures "will lead to a change, if not a complete revolution in all previous views and theories" .

Furniture and utensils, jewelry, weapons, chariots and ship models - everything is striking in its variety of forms and beauty.

The gold mask of the king with lapis lazuli inlay is amazing in its perfection. A beautiful herma is a generational statue of Tutankhamun, made of wood, covered with primer and painted. A low crown, leaving the shells of the ears open, is pulled over the forehead. The delicate face is illuminated by the radiance of large black eyes. Remarkable is the golden statuette of Tutankhamun standing on a black leopard. A strong muscular beast easily carries the fragile figure of the king. The combination of ebony and gold is amazingly beautiful.

The most original portrait of Tutankhamun is a small head made of wood, covered with a thin layer of plaster and painted. Like the sun god, the pharaoh is born from a lotus flower. Tutankhamun is depicted here as quite young. The capricious mouth is touched by a painful smile, large slanting eyes look attentively into the distance. This is one of the most poetic images created in Egyptian art.

The entrance to Tutankhamun's tomb (center) lies in front of the tourist center in Egypt's Valley of the Pharaohs. Archaeologist John Romer fears that the Nile may flood the valley.
In the tomb of Tutankhamun, several models of ships made of wood were found: long barges with a bow and stern, decorated with lotus flowers, were intended for crossing to the “fields of the blessed”. Four barges of the same shape, but equipped with a throne, were supposed to serve the pharaoh during the daily following the sun on its way through the sky. A barque decorated with the heads of wild goats is made of alabaster. In the center of it rises a light canopy resting on columns with double capitals in the form of lotus and papyrus flowers.

Three large beds were an equally important find, their existence was known earlier from the paintings on the walls of the tombs, but, however, they still could not be found. These were amazing structures, with an elevation not for the head, but for the legs. On one of them there were images of lion heads, on the second - cow heads, on the third one could see the head of a half-crocodile-half-hippopotamus. Jewels, weapons and clothes were heaped on the couch, and a throne lay on top. Its back was so marvelously decorated that Carter subsequently claimed: "It is the most beautiful of all that has yet been found in Egypt."

The painting of one of the caskets depicts a pharaoh in a chariot hunting lions. These scenes are filled with a dynamism that is striking for Egyptian art: the run of the royal horses is swift and unstoppable ...

And here is the king's front chariot itself. It was too large to be completely carried into the tomb, and therefore it, like the other three chariots, was sawn apart. In the lower part of her body is decorated with the heads of the ugly god Bes carved from wood. The heads are gilded, a bright red tongue is visible in the mouth, dark red eyes are outlined with stripes of purple paste. On the head of the god is a tiara of pale blue and dark purple feathers.

Outside, the chariot is decorated with a relief ornament consisting of a floral pattern and spirals. On the inside of the chariot there is an image of the pharaoh in the form of a sphinx advancing on captive Libyans, Negroes and Asians. Very expressive is the face of an elderly Libyan with a peculiar hairstyle decorated with feathers, the curly head of a Negro and the stern profile of a Syrian. And just as typical are the ivory Asian and the ebony negro depicted on the staff of the pharaoh, symbolizing the northern and southern opponents of Egypt.

On the back of a cedar chair, covered with openwork carvings, there is an emblem of eternity in the form of a figure frozen on its knees with arms outstretched in both directions. And here are the symbols of the underworld: a gilded head sacred cow and a serpent deity. Here are the gilded figurines of guardian goddesses... The god of the underworld Anubis in the form of a jackal, guarding the entrance to the treasury... The pharaoh's ceremonial weapons - daggers, swords, spears, decorated with gold... an idea of ​​the beliefs and art of the ancient Egyptians: chests and caskets filled with jewels, countless fans, necklaces, amulets, scarabs - images of the sacred beetle.

"The only notable event in Tutankhamun's life was that he died and was buried," said Howard Carter. But even if this insignificant ruler was buried with such luxury, then what treasures were in the tombs of the great pharaohs Thutmose III, Seti I, Ramses II? There is no doubt that each of their burial chambers contained more jewels than the entire tomb of Tutankhamen. But all these colossal riches were destined to fall into the hands of robbers over the centuries.
Victims of the Curse:

1. Canary Carter. Swallowed by a cobra on the day the tomb was opened.

2 - 3. Lord Carnarvon, sponsor of the expedition. He died a few days later in Cairo he was bitten by a mosquito. Before his death, the 57-year-old philanthropist was delirious and remembered the name of Tutankhamen: "I heard the call, it attracts me." On the day of the lord's death, his beloved fox terrier expired on his family estate.

4 - 7. Died from strange diseases after the opening of the tomb: archaeologist Mace (he moved the stone that blocked the entrance to the main chamber); the American millionaire George Jay-Gold, a friend of Lord Carnarvon; Egyptologists Arthur Weigall and Georges Benedite.

8-13. Died shortly after in England: Westbrun, Carter's secretary (found dead in his bed), and his father (thrown out of window); radiologist Archibald Reid, who took pictures of the mummy; industrialist Joel Wood (examined the crypt); wife of Lord Carnarvon and his half-brother.

14 - 16. Mohammed Ibrahim, director of the archaeological department of Egypt, was hit by a car in 1966. His successor, Gamal Mehrez, died of heart failure in 1972 after the pharaoh's gold was sent to an exhibition in London. Pilot Rick Lowry, who was transporting Tutankhamun's mask to England, died of a heart attack.

17 - 22. Six criminals in 1978 tried to steal Tutankhamen's death mask from the Cairo Museum. Two died suddenly before the trial, three - in prison. Only Adolf Senger was released. A few years later he was found in a Cairo hotel - in a pool of blood, with his mouth torn. There was a piece of paper on the table: “The curse has overtaken me. It will catch up with others - everyone who dared to touch the sarcophagus of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Episodes from the history of the great archaeological discovery

Robbers invaded the tomb of Tutankhamun already ten to fifteen years after his death. By some chance, the first, superficial robbery left the tomb largely undisturbed.

Photo detail / 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 dug for twelve consecutive winters. He was lucky: he discovered the extremely interesting and important for science tombs of Thutmes IV, Sipt, Horemheb, the mummy and sarcophagus of the great "heretic king" Amenhotep IV. The year the first World War, this concession passed to Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter, who later revealed the pharaoh Tutankhamen to the world.

The third car registered in England belonged to him: motor racing was his passion. This passion led to a radical change in his life - at the very beginning of XX [in book: "current"] century, he gets near Bad Langenschwalbach, in Germany, in a car accident: he rolls 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 that were carried out by various archaeological expeditions. A wealthy independent man who had not previously had a definite goal in life, he saw in this activity a truly magnificent opportunity to combine his passion for sports with serious art classes. In 1906, he starts excavations on his own, but in the same winter he comes to the conclusion that his knowledge is completely insufficient. He turns to Professor Maspero for help, and he recommends young Howard Carter to him.

The cooperation of these people was unusually fruitful. Howard Carter was an excellent complement to Lord Carnarvon: he was a well-rounded explorer, and even before Lord Carnarvon invited him to oversee all his excavations, he had acquired a great deal of practical knowledge from Petrie and Davies. But for all that, he was by no means a fantasyless registrar of facts, 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. Only in the autumn of 1917 did they manage to increase the scale of work so much that there was hope for success. At the same time, something happened that we have repeatedly met in the history of science: from the very beginning they managed to attack the place where, in fact, the discovery was subsequently made. However, a number of external circumstances - critical reflections, delays, doubts and, above all, "instructions from specialists" slowed down the whole thing and led to the fact that it almost burst at all. "

4.


Plan of the tomb on The Discovery of King Tut exhibition website

"Starting excavations, Carnarvon and Carter during the winter removed almost the entire top layer of debris and rubble inside the planned triangle and brought the excavations to the foot of the open tomb of Ramesses VI. "Here we stumbled upon a number of huts for workers - several shacks that were built on a pile of fragments of flint, which, as you know, always serves in the Valley sure sign near a tomb.

The events of the next few years gradually became more and more tense.

Because of the tourists, or rather, because further excavations would interfere with the inspection of the tomb of Ramesses, which is willingly visited by tourists, Carnarvon and Carter decided to stop 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 mortuary equipment of known archaeological interest.

“Never in our time in the Valley have we been so close to a real discovery,” Carter later wrote.

Now they have "toppled", as Petrie would have said, the whole triangle, except for that patch of land on which the workers' huts stood. And again they leave this last section untouched, again go to another place, to a small hollow adjacent to the Valley of the Kings, to the tomb of Thutmes III, dig there for two years in a row and in the end do not find anything of value.

Then they gather and quite seriously discuss the question of whether, after such insignificant results of long-term research, the excavations should not be transferred to a completely different place. As before, only that patch of land remains unexcavated, where the workers' shacks stand and there is a pile 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 one more, this time really last, winter to the Valley of the Kings. "

"On November 3, 1922, Carter (Lord Carnarvon was in England at that time) began to demolish the shacks - these were the remains of dwellings from the XX 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 garbage and rubble, there was no longer any doubt that they had managed to find the entrance to some kind of tomb.

However, it could also be some 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, to go over 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, so did Carter's excitement. Step after step was released from under the debris and rubble, and by the time the sun suddenly set, as always in Egypt, everyone saw the twelfth step, and behind it “ upper part closed, plastered with lime and sealed door. "Sealed door! So, really ... This moment could excite even an experienced archaeologist.

5.

Plan of the interior of the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen. From the book of K. Kerama "Gods, tombs, scientists", M., 1963.

Carter examined the seals: they were the seals of the royal necropolis. Consequently, there, in the tomb, rested the ashes of some really high-ranking person. Since the dwellings of workers had already closed the entrance to the tomb since the XX Dynasty, it, at least from now on, should have become inaccessible to thieves. Carter, trembling with impatience, made a small hole in the door, large enough to put an electric light through, and found that the whole passage on the other side of the door was blocked 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 dig under the protection of his most loyal men, returned home by moonlight, he had to enter into a difficult struggle with himself.

“Anything, literally anything, could be behind this passage, and I had to call on all my self-control to resist the temptation to immediately break the door and continue the search,” Carter wrote in his diary after he looked into the hole he made in the door. Now, as he rode his 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 threshold of a great discovery; and yet it is hard not to admire this - he decides to fill up the excavation and wait for the return of Lord Carnarvon, his friend and collaborator.

6.


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: “A remarkable discovery has finally been made in the Valley. Magnificent tomb with intact seals; before your arrival, everything is backfilled. Congratulations". On the eighth, he receives two answers: "I will arrive as quickly as possible"; "I expect to be in Alexandria on the 20th."

On November 23, Lord Carnarvon arrived in Luxor with his daughter. Carter spent more than two weeks in burning impatience, in agonizing expectation in front of the newly filled tomb. Already two days after the discovery, a hail of congratulations fell upon him, but on what, in fact, they congratulated him - on what discovery, whose tomb? Carter did not know this. If he had continued to excavate just a few centimeters, he would have seen an absolutely clear and distinct impression of the seal of Tutankhamen. “I would sleep better at night and save myself three weeks of agonizing uncertainty.”

7.

December 1922. Ornately carved alabaster vases in the antechamber. Image: Harry Burton . The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.

By the afternoon of November 24, workers had cleared all the steps. Descending from the last, sixteenth, Carter found himself in front of a sealed door. He saw the prints of the seal with the name of Tutankhamen and at the same time what almost all the researchers of the tombs had to face: the traces of the robbers, who managed to get ahead of the scientists here too; here, as in other places, the thieves had time to do their work.

“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 opened twice and closed up again; the seals we found earlier - a jackal and nine captives - were attached to that part of the wall that was being opened, while the seals of Tutankhamen, with which the tomb was originally sealed, were on the other, lower untouched part of the wall. Thus, the tomb was not at all, as we hoped, completely untouched. The robbers visited it, and even more than once. The huts we have already mentioned testified to the fact that the robbers were active even before the reign of Ramesses VI, and the fact that the tomb was sealed again indicated that the robbers were not able to clean it completely. "

8.


Treasury / C. 1923. An assortment of model boats in the treasury of the tomb. Image: Harry Burton . The Griffith Institute, Oxford. Colorized by Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.

“The decisive moment was coming,” writes Carter, “with trembling hands, we made a small hole in the upper left corner ..”

Taking an iron rod, Carter passed it through the hole; the rod met no barrier. Then Carter lit a match and brought it to the hole: 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, having barely learned 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 current of air escaping from the hole almost blows it out, and in the flickering light Carter does not immediately manage to see what is behind the door. Gradually, his eyes get used to, and he distinguishes first the contours, then the first colors, and when at last the contents of the chamber located on the other side of the door become clear to him, a triumphant cry freezes on his lips ... he is silent. For those who stand waiting beside 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 heartily, “amazing things!”

9.


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 Dynamicchrome 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 yet managed to see anything more magnificent than what our lantern pulled out of the darkness,” said Carter, when the first excitement subsided and the 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 electric bulb danced on a golden stretcher, on a massive golden throne, on two mattly gleaming black large statues, on alabaster vases, on some extraordinary caskets. The heads of strange beasts cast monstrous shadows on the walls; like sentries, two statues stood one against the other “with golden aprons, in golden sandals, with clubs and wands. Their foreheads were wrapped around the golden images of sacred snakes.

10.


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 Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.

And among all this luxury of the dead, which it was impossible to capture with a glance, traces of the living were visible: near the door stood a vessel half-filled with lime, not far from it was a lamp black with soot, in another place a fingerprint was visible on the wall, on the threshold lay a garland of flowers - last tribute to the deceased. As if spellbound, Carnarvon and Carter stood looking at all this dead luxury and traces of life preserved for so many millennia; a long time passed 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 really supposed to resurface the question that had already been discussed more than once: a tomb or a hiding place?

However, going around step by step all the rooms, they found between the sentries one more, third, sealed door. “In our minds, we already imagined a whole suite of rooms similar to the one in which we were, also filled with treasures, and we were breathless.” On November 27, they examined the door, and by the light of the strong electric lamps that Callender had managed to install by that time, they were convinced that almost at floor level, next to the door, there was a passage, also sealed, though later than the door itself. So, the robbers managed to visit here too. What could be hiding in this second chamber or second corridor? If there was a mummy behind this door, in what form? Was she whole? There were many mysteries here. The layout of this tomb was also strange, unlike any of those found earlier. Even more strange was the circumstance that the robbers tried to get through the third door, not paying any attention to the riches that were in front of them. What were they looking for if they calmly passed by a pile of golden things lying in the first room? "

"... It was enough for Carter to take a cursory glance to understand: a thorough study of all these treasures "will lead to a change, if not a complete revolution in all previous views and theories."

11.


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 Dynamicchrome 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 found a small hole. He called the others. Lighting 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 quite definitely) transferred some things and objects from the side chamber to the front one, they damaged something, smashed, but almost nothing was stolen - even what, so say, it just fell into their hands. Perhaps they were spooked?

Up to this point, everyone - Carter, and Carnarvon, and the rest - were as if in a daze and had little 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 facing them and what great job and strict organization will require its permission.

It was impossible to understand this find, even only in what they had already managed to find, in one season! "

12.


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 Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.

"When we now hear that Carnarvon and Carter decided to fill in the freshly excavated tomb, we know that this had nothing to do with similar actions of their predecessors, who quickly dug out, but also quickly filled up their finds."

"One thing was clear to Carter: in no case should one rush to excavate. Not to mention the need to firmly establish the original location of all the objects found (this was important for dating and other definitions), one should also take into account the fact that a significant part of the utensils and many jewels were damaged, and before touching them, it was necessary to take measures for their conservation, that is, to process and pack them accordingly. an appropriate amount of packaging materials and various preparations.

13.


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 specialists and create a laboratory where they would immediately study those important finds that could not be saved. Just cataloging such a large number of finds already 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 Callender remained in place for the watchman), secure the tomb from the modern followers of Abd al-Rasul. Moreover, as soon as he arrived in Cairo, Carter ordered a heavy iron grill for the inner door.

14.

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 Dynamicchrome 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 was largely due to the often selfless help that Carnarvon and Carter received from the very beginning from all parts of the world. Subsequently, Carter expressed in print his gratitude for the comprehensive assistance rendered 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, because we do not want to glorify intellectual help alone. Here it is:

Mr. Howard Carter, zskv.

Honorable Sir!

I am writing you a letter in the hope that you are alive and well, and I pray to the Almighty that He will not leave you in his cares and return you to us in good health, safe and sound. I venture to inform Your Grace that Warehouse No. 15 is in perfect 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 your instructions.

Hussein, Gaz Hassan, Hassan Awad, Abdelad-Ahmed and all send you their best wishes.

I send my best wishes to you, to all members of the Lord's family and to all your friends in England.

Looking forward to your soonest arrival, your obedient servant
Ahmed Gurgar.

15.


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 Dynamicchrome for the Exhibition “The Discovery of King Tut” in New York.

In response to a timid plea for help from Carter to members of an expedition operating in the Thebes region, Lysgoe, head of the Egyptian department of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, put his photographer Harry Burton at his disposal, despite the fact that he was deprived of such the image of the worker he needs; in his reply to Carter, he wrote: “Glad to be of some help. I ask you to fully dispose of Burton in the same way as any member of our expedition. As a result, the draftsmen Hall and Hauser and the head of the excavations in the area of ​​the Lisht pyramids, A.K. Mace, also migrated to Carter. The director of the Egyptian State Department of Chemistry, A. Lucas of Cairo, placed himself and his three months' leave at Carter's disposal. Dr. Alan Gardiner took up the inscriptions, and Professor James G. Breasted of the University of Chicago hastened to apply his knowledge to date the ancient seal impressions found by Carter.

16.

Sculptural portrait of Tutankhamun on the second golden sarcophagus. A garland of flowers is visible, still retaining their natural coloration by the time the sarcophagus was opened / 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 Egyptian University, began to study the mummy. A. Lucas wrote an extensive monograph "Chemistry in the Tomb" about metals, oils, fats and tissues. P. E. Newberry examined the wreaths and garlands of flowers found in the tomb and managed 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 what time of the year Tutankhamun was buried: knowing when the cornflower blooms, when the mandrake ripens - the “apple of love” from the Song of Songs - and 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" was also explored by Alexander Scott and H.J. Plenderleith.

This creative community of specialists (some of them were specialists in fields far removed from archeology and the history of the ancient world) was a sure guarantee that the scientific results of these excavations turned out to be more significant than any previous ones.

Now we could get to work. December 16 the excavation was reopened. On December 18, photographer Burton took test shots, and on the 27th, the first find was brought to the surface.

Solid work takes time. Excavations in the tomb of Tutankhamen continued for several winters. "

Text from the book: Keram K. "Gods, tombs, scientists." A novel of archeology. / Per. from German A.S. Varshavsky - St. Petersburg: "KEM", together with the publishing house "Nizhny Novgorod Fair", N. Novgorod, 1994. S. 60, 156-184.