When Howard Carter discovered the tomb of the Great King Tut in 1922, he did not just find the lost king but King Tut's treasure as well. Not only were the daily practices of the ancient Egyptians governed by their belief in a life after death, Aka the afterlife, but so was how they prepared their dead for the journey beyond the grave.
That's why the dead were mummified to preserve their earthly bodies for the journey to come, and their prized possessions were buried with them to aid them in their journey. Few, however, compare to the magnificence of the treasures of King Tut and the story they tell about king tut's life. Discover what amazing artifacts were buried with the Young King of Egypt and how they helped uncover his story.
Who Is King Tut And Why Is He Important?
Although the year King Tut was born is unknown, it is known that he died at the age of 17 or 18, so it is commonly assumed that king Tut was born around 1341 BC. His father was Pharaoh Amenhotep, who is often referred to as the "Heretic King" because of the religious reforms he imposed on the Egyptians during his reign, while his mother lady Kiya was one of the lesser wives of King Amenhotep. King Tut was the last of his royal family to rule Egypt, and this is because he died at a very young age without any male heir from his wife Ankhsenamun.
King Tut’s tomb was discovered in 1922. Before the discovery of his tomb, King Tut was considered one of the minor kings that ruled ancient Egypt, and his legacy had little influence on the country's history. But the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922 provided a lot of shocking evidence that showed that this boy king played a very important role in the history of Egypt, as he was greatly involved in the restoration of the original Egyptian religion and also in the rule of law and order after his father's death. The discovery of the almost intact tomb of King Tut immediately made him the most famous Egyptian king in the modern world. Also, it opened the eyes of the modern world to a lot of ancient Egyptian practices and facts that were hidden before this discovery.
.
Witness the Marvels of King Tuts' treasures in The Egyptian Museum with our Egypt Tour Packages.
Witness and own the replica of King Tuts' treasures in the best Online Antiques Store (Swan Bazaar).
The discovery of King Tut’s Tomb
King tut was buried in a tomb that was rather too small for his status, this suggests that his death came at an unexpected time and a tomb meant for another person was used for him. After the young king tut was buried in this tomb, the location of the tomb was concealed for a long time by sand and debris that mostly came from tombs that were later built over this tomb and also from the worker's houses that were built over the entrance of the tomb.
The concession rights for the excavation of the Valley of kings which held a lot of important tombs was initially held by Theodore Davis who discovered about ten tombs between the years 1905 to 1914. During that time, Davis found many objects and materials with King Tut’s name on them. Theodore Davis later concluded that the valley of kings has been exhausted and gave up on the possibility of finding another very important and significant tomb in the Valley of Kings.
Later in the year 1907, Howard Carter was invited by William Garstin and Gaston Maspero to help in excavating for George Herbet (the 5th Earl of Carnarvon) in the valley. These two men (George and Carter) hoped to gain the concession Davis gave up, but they were forced to work instead on the excavation of different parts of the Theban Necropolis for seven years.
But by the year 1915, they had the opportunity to work on the excavation of the Valley of Tombs and in November 1922, Carter discovered the original tomb and most of King Tut's treasures. By February of the following year, the tomb had been cleared of almost all the valuables it contained.
Treasures of King Tut’s tomb
Ancient Egyptians strongly believed in the underworld and they often buried their dead with a lot of valuable items and treasures to help in an individual’s journey through the underworld. The social status of an individual determined the amount of treasure that was placed in the tomb. Since Tut was a king, his tomb was filled with a lot of treasures.
King tut's treasures are approximated to be about 5400 in number, and they included a gold throne, a solid gold coffin, face masks, archery bows, a chalice, trumpets, food, wine, sandals, and some fresh linen underwear. In fact, a recent analysis showed that one of the daggers found in the tomb was made from a meteorite. Their treasures were so many that it took Carter ten years to finish the indexing of all the items. The discovery of these items helped archeologists understand how advanced ancient Egyptians were in metalwork and tool development.
Discover the Beauty of King Tut's Kingdom with a Cruise in the Nile, starting at 435$.
The Current Resting Place of King Tut And His Treasure
Since the discovery of King Tut’s treasure and the tomb in 1922, the mummy has traveled almost all over the world for various reasons ranging from art exhibitions to forensic research. Although there has been minor damage to the body during its mummification and excavation, the mummy remains early in pristine condition. It is currently in its original resting place, the KV62 chamber in the Valley of Kings.
Over the years, the King Tut treasure found in his tomb has been distributed to various museums all over Egypt and the world at large. However, the most important of these treasures is securely protected and preserved in the king’s tomb in the Valley of Kings.
Conclusion
The importance of King Tut's treasure in the tomb can never be overemphasized. It remains a large part of the Egyptian heritage and culture, and to this very day is regarded all over the world as one of the most impressive and interesting discoveries of all time.