File – Carter examines the tomb of Tutankhamun, 1924 – HARRY BURTON/WIKIPEDIA – File
Nov. 4 () –
This November 4 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery, in 1922, of the entrance to the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun near Luxor, by the British archaeologist Howard Carter, after 8 years of searching.
The discovery of the eternal resting place of the young pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty achieved world fame because it was intact after more than three millennia, safe from looting, being the best preserved tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
Renowned for his innovative archaeological methods, Carter had started working for Lord Carnarvon, a noble archeology enthusiast, in 1907 as supervisor of excavations at Deir el-Bahari, near Thebes.
In 1914, Lord Carnarvon received permits to excavate in the Valley of the Kings and Carter was hired again to lead the work.. He was in charge of finding tombs that went unnoticed in previous expeditions, in particular that of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, although the work was temporarily paralyzed by the First World War.
In 1922, Lord Carnarvon grew impatient at the lack of results after several years of searching, and he considered withdrawing the funds. After a discussion with Carter, he agreed to finance one last season in the Valley of the Kings, reports Wikipedia.
On November 4, 1922, the team’s water carrier tripped over a stone that turned out to be the start of a stairway. Carter excavated the steps partially until the discovery of a mud door in which several Egyptian cartouches, seals with hieroglyphic writing, were observed. The archaeologist ordered the stairway filled in again and sent a telegram to Carnarvon, who moved to Egypt from England.
YES, I CAN SEE WONDERFUL THINGS!
On November 24, 1922, the staircase and the Egyptian cartouche in the access that indicated the name of Tutankhamun were excavated in its entirety. Two days later, Carter conducted a “small opening in the upper left corner” of the entrance. From there she was able to glimpse the interior thanks to the light of a candle and see gilt and ivory treasures. Carnarvon asked him if he could see anything and Carter replied with his famous line: Yes, I can see wonderful things!
Carter had discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, later known as KV62. The grave was protected until the arrival of an official from the Department of Egyptian Antiquities the following day, although that night Carter, Carnarvon, his daughter and Deputy Callender apparently entered without permission, becoming the first people in three millennia to gain access to the burial.
The next morning, November 27, saw the tomb being inspected by an Egyptian officer. Callender agreed with electric light, illuminating a vast collection of objects, including divans, chests, thrones, and altars. They also found evidence of adjoining rooms, including a sealed door to the sarcophagus chamber, flanked by two statues of Tutankhamun. Despite the existence of signs of looting in ancient times, the tomb was intact and it was estimated that it housed more than 5,000 objects. On November 29, the tomb was officially opened in the presence of several invited dignitaries and Egyptian officials.
Realizing the enormity of the task, Carter enlisted the help of Albert Lythgoe of the excavation team at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, who was working nearby, while the Egyptian government sent analytical chemist Alfred Lucas. On February 16, 1923, Carter opened the sealed door and confirmed that he was heading to Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus. The tomb was considered the best preserved and intact in the Valley of the Kings and its discovery reached the world press. Lord Carnarvon sold the exclusive to The Times, angering the rest of the press.
TEN YEARS TO CLASSIFY THE FINDINGS
In late February 1923, an argument between Carnarvon and Carter, probably caused by how to deal with the Egyptian authorities, temporarily halted the dig. Work resumed in March following an apology from Carnarvon to Carter.
At the end of that month Carnarvon contracted bacteremia from an insect bite while staying in Luxor, near the tomb, and died on April 5 of that year. feeding the legend of the curse of Tutankhamun. The meticulous methods of cataloging the thousands of objects in the tomb occupied Carter for almost ten years, before being transferred to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
