|
|
|
 |
Though the smallest and unimpressive, the tomb of Tutankhamun
is the most famous one in the valley. This is because of the
quantity of intact treasures found in it in what was considered
as the last century's biggest discovery.
The discovery was conducted by Howard Carter, an Egyptologist
who was working on behalf of Lord Carnarvon, a wealthy Englishman.
Carter was about to stop excavation work when he decided to
dig in the tomb's site and he successfully found it in 1922.
When Carter opened it, it was filled with thousands of antiquities.
It took 10 years to empty the tomb off its treasures.
A long time was needed to document and photograph the contents.
The treasures were later moved to the Egyptian museum in Cairo.
Tutankhamun had a little role in Egypt's ancient history. He
ascended the throne when he was only nine, and he died, perhaps
killed, when he was 19. He was then buried hastily in this small
tomb with his treasures.
The tomb is simple in structure. Steps lead to a sloping corridor
and then to the antechamber .
The antechamber has a sunken annex to the left side and to the
right side lies the sunken burial chamber and its attached treasury.
The burial chamber is the only decorated part of the tomb. It
still contains the red quartzite sarcophagus
with the outermost gilded coffin and the mummy of the boy-king. |
|
|
|
