The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen by A. C. Mace
The discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen, led by archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922, is one of the most significant archaeological events of the 20th century. Tutankhamen, a pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, ruled Egypt briefly in the mid-14th century BCE, and his tomb had remained largely undisturbed for over three millennia. Carter's search for the tomb was initially met with skepticism, as many believed that all significant tombs had already been uncovered. However, his persistence in the Valley of the Kings, informed by earlier excavations and evidence, led to the remarkable moment when his team discovered a series of steps leading to a sealed door.
Upon entering the tomb, Carter found an antechamber filled with artifacts that offered insight into ancient Egyptian culture. The meticulous process of cataloging and preserving the items laid the groundwork for future archaeological standards. Despite some items having been pilfered shortly after Tutankhamen's burial, much remained intact, and the careful excavation methods used by Carter allowed for a comprehensive understanding of the artifacts and their historical context. The discovery captured global attention and continues to influence the study of ancient Egypt, demonstrating the importance of archaeological diligence and the excitement of uncovering historical treasures.
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The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen by A. C. Mace
First published: 1923; illustrated
Subjects: Death, religion, and science
Type of work: Science
Recommended Ages: 15-18
Form and Content
Although it represents a scientific report and a classic study of archaeology, The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen includes a varied array of prose genres. The book is dedicated to the earl of Carnarvon, who sponsored the excavations of Howard Carter; it opens with a biography of that nobleman written by his sister Winifred, Lady Burghclere. This account is followed by eleven chapters arranged chronologically but varying greatly in contents and level of generality. These chapters are divisible into two major sections. The first five narrate the history of the reign of Tutankhamen, describe his burial site in the Valley of the Kings, explain archaeological work in the valley, and report the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb. The second part, consisting of six chapters, explains in detail the work of Carter and his team during the first season of excavating the tomb.
Primary credit for discovery of the tomb must be accorded to Carter, who, against all expert opinion, had the courage to pursue an improbable hypothesis. By the time that he began, he was thoroughly steeped in archaeology, having served an apprenticeship under the exacting archaeological pioneer Flanders Petrie. Before the idea of searching for Tutankhamen developed, Carter had explored widely in the Valley of the Kings near Thebes and had made significant discoveries.
Before Carter began his search, historians had already accounted for almost all dynastic rulers of Egypt. Their tombs had been identified, and the few objects overlooked by grave robbers from antiquity had been discovered. Yet, the boy king of the eighteenth dynasty, the successor of Akhenaten, remained a mystery. Before his death at the age of eighteen, Tutankhamen had ruled Egypt for nine years in the mid-fourteenth century b.c. Although his influence was not great, historical interest in him was high, for he served immediately following the turbulent reign of Akhenaten. After archaeologists had discovered occasional objects bearing Tutankhamen’s seal near the tombs of Akhenaten and Ramses VI, Carter decided to concentrate his search in that area.
First, his team had to remove tons of earth and debris left by previous explorers in order to reach the original ground level. In November, 1922, a worker discovered the first of sixteen steps leading down to a sealed door. Beyond the door lay a twenty-five-foot-long passageway obstructed by shards and detritus. At its end, Carter found a second door bearing the seal of Tutankhamen. Having summoned his patron from England, Carter forced a small opening in the door and peered into an anteroom filled with objects that had lain undisturbed for three thousand years. When Carnarvon asked whether he could see anything, Carter replied, “Yes, wonderful things.”
Carter had discovered the antechamber of Tutankhamen’s four-room tomb. Although pilferers had entered the room a few years following Tutankhamen’s death and stolen some small and easily portable items, they had abandoned the site and resealed its doors, leaving most of the contents undisturbed.
Instead of entering the antechamber to survey everything, Carter proceeded cautiously and methodically. Before moving anything, he hired a professional photographer to document the existence and location of every item. Chests, robes, couches, beds, chariots, jewelry, walking sticks, gloves—all were documented and cataloged. Carter took the necessary steps to safeguard the site from would-be collectors and curious tourists and notified all the proper officials. Then, in a nearby tomb, he set up a laboratory equipped to protect items that were in a state of decay and to preserve everything possible. Only after this preliminary cataloging and treatment would items from the tomb be transported to the museum in Cairo. As news of the find spread, Carter found himself deluged by members of the press eager to see any objects from the site, as well as by hoards of tourists who congregated nearby, hoping to observe something important.
After sufficiently clearing the antechamber of its wealth of objects, Carter opened another sealed door and found a large, gilded shrine surrounded by numerous other objects. He knew this to be the actual tomb and expected to discover the young pharaoh’s mummy under layers of gold-covered boxes. The arrival of summer’s intense heat, however, forced him to end his excavation for the year, leaving the burial chamber undisturbed for another season. He had processed one-fourth of the items in the tomb, but the entire project was to require ten additional years of work.
Critical Context
Carter and Mace offer an unusual combination in their description of an exciting discovery and their explanation of the science of archaeology. The text allows readers to share in the exhilaration associated with great quests like those of Sir Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke for the source of the Nile, or of Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen’s polar expeditions. In archaeology, the closest important analogy would be the excavations of Heinrich Schliemann at Hissarlik and Mycenae, but, while Schliemann made spectacular discoveries, he was no scientist; his amateurish methods and haste destroyed much evidence of the cultures that he attempted to understand.
By contrast, descriptions of Carter’s attempts to protect and preserve objects from Tutankhamen’s tomb introduce the reader to what were then the most advanced practices of field archaeology. His zeal for protecting the thousands of individual items in the tomb was motivated in part by the awareness that many would be of interest to future students of the culture and art of Tutankhamen’s era. His careful work ensured that the civilization of Tutankhamen’s time would be better understood, and items that he preserved from the tomb have brought aesthetic pleasure to millions.