Opening of the tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. Howard Carter and the Curse of King Tut's Tomb

famous English archaeologist and Egyptologist who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor in 1922

Childhood

Howard Carter was the youngest of 8 children of Samuel and Martha Carter. Howard Carter spent his childhood in Swaffham in Norfolk, which is why in many sources this town is designated as the birthplace of the Egyptologist. Carter's father, an artist by profession, taught his son to draw from childhood, while instilling an interest in cultural history.

Carier start

Howard Carter had been involved in archeology since 1891, joining the British Egyptian Archaeological Research Organization at the age of 17. By 1899 he had taken part in a number of archaeological expeditions in Egypt, sketching the inscriptions, sculptures and architecture of Ancient Egypt. In particular, he worked on excavations at Beni Hassan, a seat of the Middle Kingdom. For some time, the aspiring Egyptologist worked under the leadership of a leading expert in the field of archeology, William Flinders Petrie. He became famous for his studies of Djeser Djeseru, built in the 15th century BC, carried out in 1893-1899. e. architect Senmut for the female pharaoh Hatshepsut terraced funeral temple and rock tomb at Deir el-Bahri in western Thebes.

Collaboration with Lord Carnarvon

In 1906, Howard Carter met the amateur archaeologist and collector of antiquities Lord Carnarvon, who allocated funds for further archaeological research of his professional colleague. In 1914, Carter and Carnarvon began joint excavations in the Valley of the Kings. As a result of their cooperation, during the excavations of the Theban necropolis, the tomb of Amenhotep I and the burials of several queens of the 18th dynasty were discovered. Further excavations were interrupted by the First World War, but as soon as circumstances permitted, Carter persuaded Carnarvon to continue research in the Valley of the Kings.

Opening of Tutankhamun's tomb

The tandem of Carter and Carnarvon soon became world famous: the gambling Carnarvon found a brave, practical and selfless enthusiast, ideally suited to realize the idea that the lord was obsessed with - the discovery of the tomb of a hitherto unknown ephemeral pharaoh of the late 18th dynasty, Tutankhamun. The scientific community was skeptical about the research of Carter and Carnarvon, and soon the lord himself lost interest in the unsuccessful excavations. However, on November 4, 1922, Carter found the buried entrance to tomb KV62, and the seals on the doors were intact, which raised serious hopes for the possibility of making the largest archaeological discovery of the century. The builders of the tomb of the XX dynasty pharaoh Ramesses VI apparently covered the path to the tomb of Tutankhamun, which explained its relative safety.

On November 26, 1922, Carter and Carnarvon became the first people in three millennia to descend into the tomb (robbers who may have visited the tomb apparently descended into it during the 20th Dynasty). After lengthy excavations, on February 16, 1923, Carter finally descended into the burial chamber of the tomb (“Golden Chamber”), where the pharaoh’s sarcophagus was located. Among the utensils and other objects buried with him, many examples of art bearing the stamp of the influence of the Amarna period were discovered. The tomb of the young king, which remained sealed for more than three thousand years, was practically untouched by tomb robbers and contained more than three and a half thousand objects of art, most of which are now in the Cairo Museum. The most famous exhibit of the museum is considered to be the death mask of Tutankhamun, found in the same tomb, made of 11.26 kg of pure gold and many precious stones.

The discovery of the tomb of the little-known successor of the famous Akhenaten was reported in the media as the most significant discovery in the history of Egyptology and, perhaps, archeology in general. The owner of the discovered treasure, then a practically unknown young ruler of Egypt, immediately became an object of increased attention, and the phenomenal discovery not only made his name well known, but also caused another surge of renewed interest in all traces of Egyptian civilization in the modern world.

"Curse of the Pharaohs"

Lord George Carnarvon, who financed the excavations, died on April 5, 1923 at the Continental Hotel in Cairo from pneumonia, but almost immediately hoaxes arose around his death (there was even talk of “blood poisoning due to a razor wound” or a “mysterious mosquito bite”). In subsequent years, the press fueled rumors of a “curse of the pharaohs” that allegedly led to the death of the discoverers of the tomb, counting up to 22 “victims of the curse,” 13 of whom were directly present at the opening of the tomb.

However, the facts indicate that the evidence of the “curse” was adjusted to achieve a newspaper sensation: the vast majority of the participants in the Carter expedition reached old age, and their average life expectancy is 74.4 years. Howard Carter, who directly supervised all the work in the tomb, seemed to be the first victim of the “curse of the pharaoh,” but he died last - in 1939 at the age of 64, in his bed and due to natural causes.

Performance results

Carter's excavations in the Valley of the Kings sparked widespread interest in archeology in general and Ancient Egypt in particular.

Howard Carter. Tutankhamun's tomb

PREFACE

It is hardly possible to find a country as rich in monuments of ancient times as Egypt.

In the narrow valley of the Nile and on the mountains and hills bordering it, numerous majestic temples and tombs, works of monumental sculpture are concentrated, and the bowels of the earth hide all kinds of artistic works of Egyptian masters and thousands of inscriptions.

The achievements of Egyptian thinkers and artists were recognized by other peoples in ancient times. The famous Phoenician sailors, who visited many countries, believed that Egypt was the birthplace of sciences and arts.

Ancient Persian kings were treated by Egyptian doctors and commissioned Egyptian craftsmen to decorate their palaces. The ancient Greeks saw the Egyptians as their teachers. Already in the Iliad, the capital of Egypt is mentioned - the “hundred-gate” Thebes, full of treasures.

Later, many Greeks and Romans, including outstanding commanders and poets, philosophers and historians, often went to the banks of the Nile and admired the sights of the country: pyramids and temples, obelisks and colossi. Returning to their homeland, they introduced their compatriots to the land of wonders - Egypt. In Herodotus, Diodorus and Pliny the Elder we find detailed descriptions of the masterpieces of ancient Egyptian art.

Interest in Egypt and the treasures of its culture persisted in the Middle Ages and especially intensified in the 19th-20th centuries, after ancient Egyptian writings that seemed forever forgotten were read again. Scientists from different countries, competing with each other, have successfully studied and continue to study the heritage of one of the most ancient civilizations.

Acquaintance with the antiquities of Egypt was of great importance for our homeland, which for centuries has been associated with the peoples of the East. Many Russian travelers visited the country of the pyramids, collected, sketched and copied monuments of its art and writing, and in their vivid and fascinating descriptions revealed the significance of the great achievements of the Egyptian people.

Back in the 18th century. Russian researcher V. G. Grigorovich-Barsky examined and with great accuracy copied a number of inscriptions of ancient Egypt and sketched some temples and obelisks.

Many interesting monuments of Egyptian antiquity were collected and studied by his successors - travelers A. S. Norov and I. P. Butenev and especially the outstanding Egyptologist of our country V. S. Golenishchev (1856 - 1947), founder of the Department of Egyptology at Cairo University.

Our interest in Egypt increased significantly after the Great October Revolution.

The Soviet reader will certainly read with great interest the book of the English archaeologist G. Carter, to whom belongs the honor of the discovery and preliminary examination of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

His book appears for the first time in a complete (except for some minor abbreviations) Russian translation. It describes in detail and fascinatingly the progress of archaeological work, the methods and techniques of excavations, methods of preserving and transporting the diverse contents of the tomb, including the royal mummy. The book provides a comprehensive overview and artistic analysis of the most interesting examples of ancient Egyptian art and craft buried with the pharaoh, and the results of an anatomical examination of the mummy, interesting for the anthropologist and historian.

G. Carter's book is written in a lively, vivid language and is equipped with illustrations that give a concrete idea of ​​both the technique of archaeological work and the antiquities themselves. Historians, archaeologists and art historians will be able to draw irreplaceable educational material from this work. Of course, not all of the author’s conclusions will satisfy our readers and be acceptable to them. Excessive pathos and not without a certain mystical touch, discussions about emotional connections between people of the distant past and the present will seem naive. Our readers will encounter an even greater objection to the desire to idealize the ancient Eastern despots and their entourage. G. Carter does not mention a single word about those unknown and talented workers who, under the most difficult conditions, created the masterpieces of art found in the tomb, which perfectly characterize the brilliant achievements of ancient Egyptian craftsmen and artists. The Soviet reader will also be struck by the close connection between science and business inherent in capitalist society and the dependence of a talented scientific researcher on private charity, which is described in the book as a very natural phenomenon.

However, all these negative aspects cannot reduce the enormous scientific value of the specific information contained in the book.

Warm sympathy for the freedom-loving Egyptian people, who overthrew the rule of the imperialists and are building an independent life, obliges us to study with exceptional attention the culture of the ancestors of this people, who created a great civilization many centuries ago.

Academician V. V. STUVE

TUTANKHAMUN AND HIS TIME

Even a not particularly attentive reader, looking through the next issue of the Times newspaper on November 30, 1922, should have been struck by promising headlines: “Egyptian Treasure,” “Important Discovery at Thebes,” “Lord Carnarvon’s Long Search.” Below them was a brief but at the same time quite detailed message from “our correspondent from Cairo” on November 29 that “this afternoon Lord Carnarvon and Mr. G. Carter showed to a large number of people what promises to be the most sensational discovery of the century in the field of Egyptology. The find consists, among other items, of the funeral belongings of the Egyptian king Tutankhamun - one of the heretical kings of the 18th dynasty, who restored the cult of Amun. Not much is known about the later kings, including Tutankhamun, and the present discovery adds immeasurably to knowledge about this period...” Next, the correspondent conveyed a concise description of the “amazing find,” based on first, not yet entirely accurate, impressions.

The Times report, picked up by the world press, really caused a real sensation, although newspapers usually do not indulge archaeologists too much with their attention. New urgent correspondence appeared from issue to issue, and for many years this topic did not leave the pages of newspapers and magazines.

Crowds of reporters, photographers and radio commentators flocked to the small and usually quiet Egyptian town of Luxor. From the Valley of the Kings, where the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh was located, as if from a battlefield or an important international conference, reports, notes, essays, reports, reports, articles were rushing hourly by telephone, telegraph and radio. In a word, the young Egyptian pharaoh, who died at the age of about eighteen, whose existence until now only a very few specialist scientists knew about, and to whom even in the most detailed studies on the history of Egypt was given more than a modest place, suddenly acquired world fame. His name was mentioned along with the names of Cheops, Thutmose III and Ramesses II - great rulers and conquerors. How can we explain this sudden popularity? Why did the discovery of the English scientist attract such attention and enter science as one of the most significant archaeological discoveries?

Everything is powerless before the shine of gold -
retribution for the ruthless priests,
fear and curse of the gods -
for gold - "always ready"
in the flickering torch a robber
“visit” the monastery at night...
What about the Gods?
The gods are deaf
and even flies won’t hurt you!
Where did they put their skeleton?
won't move for hundreds of years
(of course, if it is without gold -
not Pharaoh's salary...).

Http://wordweb.ru/sto_archeology/index.htm

One hundred great archaeological discoveries
A.Yu. Nizovsky

From the Internet

Howard Carter finds Tutankhamun's tomb
Pharaoh Tutankhamun, successor of Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV), was a very insignificant ruler and became famous in history for absolutely nothing. It is only known that he was married to Akhenaten’s youngest daughter, Princess Ankhesenamun, and died very young (there is a version that Tutankhamun was Akhenaten’s own son). And if not for the monuments from his tomb, the name of Tutankhamun 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” an unlooted royal tomb was discovered for the first time, containing a complete burial complex of objects unique in their 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 on a sailing ship, Lord Carnarvon became interested in antiquities as a young man. He was a regular at antique shops and collected old engravings and drawings. In archeology, he saw an opportunity to combine his two passions - sports and collecting, and from 1906, Carnarvon, first independently and then in collaboration with professional archaeologist Howard Carter, conducted 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 cup on which the name of Tutankhamun was written. Nearby, in a recess in the rock, sealed clay vessels were found containing mourners' headbands and other objects, also with the name of Tutankhamun, and a wooden box was found in the grave shaft discovered by Davis. On the fragments of the golden plate lying in the box, the name of Tutankhamun also appeared.

Davis concluded that the grave-shaft he discovered was the burial place of this pharaoh. But Howard Carter was convinced of something else: all these objects were used during the burial of the pharaoh, and after the completion of the ceremony they were collected, placed in vessels and hidden near the tomb. Therefore, Tutankhamun's burial place is somewhere nearby!

In February 1915, Carter and Carnarvon began a systematic search for her. This was a rather bold step: the Valley of the Kings by that time was considered Well-studied, dozens of expeditions had visited here, and the entire 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 prescient in hindsight, I nevertheless feel obliged to state that we firmly hoped to find a very specific tomb, namely, that of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun,” Carter later wrote.

Carefully, meter by meter, his employees examined the Valley of the Kings. During these searches, they made many interesting discoveries: they found the unused tomb of Queen Hatshepsut, built during the reign of her husband, Thutmose II, in which stood an unfinished sarcophagus made of crystalline sandstone; a cache of items belonging to the pharaohs Ramesses II and Merneptah; belongings of the wife of Pharaoh Thutmose III - Meritra-Hatshepsut. The entire area where Tutankhamun's tomb could have been located was cleared of soil. Only a small piece of land was left unexplored, on which stood the shacks where the workers of the necropolis lived.

“Season after season passed without any results,” recalled Howard Carter. “We carried out excavations for months, worked with utmost effort and found nothing. Only an archaeologist knows this feeling of hopeless depression. We had already begun to accept our defeat and were preparing to leave the Valley to try our luck elsewhere.”

On the day that archaeologists began demolishing the workers' huts and excavating the last remaining area of ​​the site, 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, at the level of the twelfth step a doorway appeared, walled up and sealed with a seal. Archaeologists stood on the threshold of a mystery...

“The suddenness of this discovery was such a shock to me, and the subsequent months were so filled with events, that I hardly had time to collect my thoughts and think it all over,” Carter wrote. 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, lay the ashes of some high-ranking person. Trembling with anticipation, Carter punched a hole in the door large enough to fit a light bulb through, only to find that the entire passage on the other side of the door was blocked with stones and rubble. This 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: “At last a wonderful discovery has been made in the Valley. A magnificent tomb with intact seals. Before your arrival everything is filled up again. Congratulations".

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

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

But the joy of discovery was combined with great anxiety: it was discovered that part of the walled up entrance to the tomb had been opened twice in succession, and then sealed again. Consequently, robbers visited the tomb. But did they manage to ruin it? - that's what worried the researchers now.

“Since the entire door was now visible, we were able to see what had previously been hidden from our eyes, namely: part of the walled up passage had been opened twice and sealed up again; The seals we had previously found - the jackal and nine captives - were attached to the 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, as we had hoped, completely intact. The robbers visited it, and even more than once,” Carter writes. But the fact that the tomb was sealed again meant 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 arrived.

“With trembling hands,” Carter recalls, “I made a small hole in the upper left corner of the walled wall. The darkness and emptiness into which the probe freely extended its entire length indicated that behind this wall there was no longer a blockage, as in the gallery we had just cleared. Fearing gas accumulation, we first lit a candle. Then, widening the hole a little, I stuck a candle into it and looked inside. Lord Carnarvon, Lady Evelyn and Callender (Egyptologist, expedition member - 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 became accustomed to the twilight, the details of the room began to slowly emerge from the darkness. There were slender figures of animals, statues and gold - gold shimmered everywhere! For a moment - this moment probably 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 asked me excitedly: “Do you see anything?” The only thing I could answer him was: “Yes, wonderful things.” Then, widening the hole so that two people could look into it, we stuck an electric torch inside.”

In the light of a lantern, fantastic animals with glowing eyes, large mattely shining statues, a massive golden throne, alabaster and golden vessels appeared from the darkness... The heads of outlandish animals cast monstrous shadows on the walls. Like sentries, two ebony statues stood opposite each other, wearing wide golden aprons, gold sandals, and holding clubs and staffs. Golden images of sacred snakes were wrapped around their foreheads. The eyes, encrusted with white paste and alabaster, shone in the darkness.

“There is no doubt that in the entire history of archaeological excavations no one has yet been able to see anything more magnificent than what our lantern pulled out of the darkness,” said Carter, when the initial excitement had subsided.

His words were confirmed when, on November 17, archaeologists opened the door and a beam of light from a strong electric lamp danced on a golden stretcher, on a massive golden throne, on statues and alabaster vases... On the threshold lay a garland of flowers - the last tribute to the deceased.

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

Having walked around the entire room step by step, the archaeologists discovered another, third, sealed door between the statues of the sentries. “In our minds we already imagined a whole suite of rooms similar to the one we were in, also filled with treasures, and it took our breath away,” Carter recalled.

On November 27, archaeologists examined the door and became convinced that next to it, right at floor level, there was a passage, also sealed, but later than the door itself. So, the robbers managed to visit here too? But what could be hiding 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 if they calmly walked past the heaps of golden things lying in the first room?

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

Throughout the fall and winter, archaeologists systematically cleared the tomb and removed finds from the first chamber. There were about seven hundred different items here. A narrow-gauge railway was laid from the pier on the Nile directly to the tomb of Tutankhamun, along which heavy boxes were delivered to a specially chartered steamship. The distance was small - only one and a half kilometers, but since there were not enough rails, they had to resort to a trick: when the trolley traveled a certain distance, the track behind it was dismantled, and the removed rails were laid in front of the trolley. So the precious finds made their way back three thousand years after they were solemnly delivered from the banks of the Nile to the tomb of the deceased king. After another seven days they were in Cairo.

On Friday, February 17, 1923, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, approximately twenty people - scientists and members of the Egyptian government - gathered in the front room of the tomb. None of them suspected what exactly they were destined to see in just two hours.

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

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

What Carter initially thought was a wall was in fact 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 allow entry. The burial chamber, as it turned out, was about a meter lower than the front room. Carter entered her first. In front of him stood a sarcophagus covered with gold sheets measuring 5.2 x 3.35 x 2.75 m, occupying almost the entire room. Only a narrow passage about 65 cm wide, completely filled with 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 pulled back the bolt. The doors opened with a creak, revealing another gold-lined box in front of him. Like the first one, it was locked. But this time the seal was intact!

This was truly Carter and Carnarvon's finest hour. They discovered the first and so far only unlooted burial of an Egyptian pharaoh! It seemed that greater success could not have been expected. But nevertheless, this success was still waiting for them!

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

In the middle of the room stood a gold-covered casket. He was surrounded by statues of four guardian goddesses. Their faces were so filled with compassion and sorrow that “just contemplating them seemed almost blasphemous.”

The study of this greatest find in the history of archeology lasted for several years. Winter 1926–1927 a gold-lined sarcophagus was opened. There was a second one in it, and a third one in the second one...

“Containing my excitement, I began to open the third box,” Carter wrote. “I will probably never forget this most intense moment of our painstaking work.” I cut the rope, removed the precious Seal, pulled back the bolt, opened the doors, and... the fourth box appeared in front of us. He was exactly the same as the others, but only even more luxurious and beautiful than the third. The unknown lies ahead again...

What was hidden behind the unsealed doors of this box? In terrible excitement, I pulled back the bolt. The doors opened slowly. In front of us, filling almost the entire box, stood a huge, completely intact sarcophagus made 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. The wings of the goddess were spread at the four corners of the sarcophagus, as if protecting and guarding the one who slept here in eternal sleep.”

It took 84 days to remove the top two drawers and empty the burial chamber. Finally, on February 3, they saw the royal sarcophagus in all its splendor - carved from a single yellow quartzite block, 2.75 m long, 1.5 m wide and 1.5 m 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 slab began to rise, there was dead silence. At the first moment, everyone was overwhelmed with disappointment: nothing but tarred linen bandages. But when the bandages were unwound, everyone saw the dead pharaoh”...

So it seemed at first glance. But it was not the pharaoh’s mummy that was born, but his sculptural portrait made of gold. The gold sparkled dazzlingly, and the entire 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 stripes glittered on the king's headband. The face was made of pure gold, the eyes of aragonite and obsidian, the eyebrows and eyelids of lapis lazuli glass. This face resembled a mask in its immobility, and at the same time it was as if alive. Nearby lay a modest wreath - the last “forgiveness” to my beloved husband from a young widow...

Archaeologists removed the golden cover. Below it was a second one, depicting a pharaoh lying in rich decoration in the image of the god Osiris. They saw the same thing when they opened the third fob. During this work, its participants noticed that the coffins were very heavy. The reason for this amazing heaviness soon became clear: the third fob, 1.85 m long, like the previous two, was made of pure gold sheet 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 mummy of the pharaoh. The final decisive moment has arrived. Several gold nails were taken out, then the coffin lid was lifted using gold staples. Tutankhamun lay before the archaeologists...

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

The English scientist P. E. Newberry examined the wreaths and garlands of flowers found in the tomb and established what flowers grew three thousand three hundred years ago on the banks of the Nile. He even managed to determine what time of year Tutankhamun was buried: knowing when the cornflower blooms, when the mandrake - the “apple of love” from the Song of Songs - and the black-berry nightshade ripen, he came to the conclusion that Tutankhamun was buried no earlier than mid-March and no later than the end of April.

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

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

The furniture and utensils, jewelry, weapons, chariots and ship models found in the tomb are all striking in their variety of shapes and beauty.

The king’s golden mask with lapis lazuli inlay is amazing in its perfection. A beautiful herma is a generational statue of Tutankhamun, made of wood, covered with pound and painted. A low crown, leaving the shells of the ears open, is pulled down onto the forehead. The gentle face is illuminated by the radiance of large black eyes. The golden figurine of Tutankhamun standing on a black leopard is remarkable. The strong, muscular beast easily carries the fragile figurine 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. Tutankhamun is depicted here as very young. Like the sun god, the pharaoh is born from a lotus flower. The capricious mouth is touched by a painful smile, large slanted eyes carefully look into the distance. This is one of the most poetic images created in Egyptian art.

Several models of ships made of wood were discovered in Tutankhamun's tomb. These long barges with 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 his daily following of the sun on his journey across the sky. A barge is made of alabaster, decorated with the heads of wild goats. In its center rises a light canopy, resting on columns with double capitals in the form of lotus and papyrus flowers.

An equally important find were three large beds. Their existence was previously known from paintings on the walls of tombs, but they have not yet been found. These were amazing structures - with an elevation not for the head, but for the feet. 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 piled high on the bed, and a throne lay on top. Its back was so marvelously decorated that Carter later claimed: “It is the most beautiful thing that has yet been found in Egypt.”

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

And here is the king’s ceremonial chariot itself. It was too large to be carried entirely into the tomb, and therefore it, like the other three chariots, was sawn apart. In the lower part, its 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, and dark red eyes are outlined with stripes of purple paste. On the god's head is a tiara of soft blue and dark purple feathers. The outside of 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, blacks and Asians. The face of an elderly Libyan with a unique hairstyle decorated with feathers, the curly head of a black man and the stern profile of a Syrian are very expressive. And just as typical are the ivory asian and ebony nave depicted on the pharaoh's staff, symbolizing the northern and southern enemies of Egypt.

On the back of the cedar chair, covered with openwork carvings, the emblem of eternity is depicted in the form of a figure frozen on its knees with arms outstretched in both directions. And here are the symbols of the underworld: the gilded head of a sacred cow and a snake deity. Here are gilded figurines of guardian goddesses... The god of the underworld Anubis in the form of a jackal, guarding the entrance to the treasury... The ceremonial weapons of the pharaoh are daggers, a sword and a spear, decorated with gold... Bracelets, rings, breast jewelry...! And many, many more artistic objects that give a vivid idea of ​​the beliefs and art of the ancient Egyptians: chests and caskets filled with jewelry, countless fans, necklaces, amulets, scarabs - images of the sacred beetle.

All these priceless treasures are now kept in the Cairo Museum.

"The only significant 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, Ramesses II? There is no doubt that each of their burial chambers contained more jewelry than the entire tomb of Tutankhamun. But all the colossal wealth was destined to fall into the hands of robbers.

Photo from the Internet
Tutankhamo;n (Tutankhato;n) - pharaoh of Ancient Egypt,
reigned approximately 1333 - 1323 BC. e.,
from the XVIII dynasty.

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Despite the fact that almost a century has passed since Howard Carter found the tomb of Tutankhamun, interest in the discovery of this English archaeologist has not faded. This is evidenced by the endless queues for exhibitions of exhibits from the famous tomb, periodically held in the largest museums in the world. This is not surprising, since we are talking about the most significant discovery ever made in Egypt.

Howard Carter, biography of the future scientist

In 1874, a son was born into the large family of the then famous English animal artist Samuel Carter, who lived in Norfolk County, and was given the name Howard. When the child grew up, the father made every effort to give him a home education, allowing him to take a worthy place in society. Having discovered his son's ability to draw, Samuel tried to instill in him skills in this art.

Thanks to his father's connections in the scientific world, seventeen-year-old Howard Carter first took part in an archaeological expedition to Egypt under the leadership of the leading Egyptologist of the time, Flinders Petrie. He was entrusted with the duties of a draftsman, which allowed the young man to come into close contact with objects from long-gone eras, and to feel an exciting sense of discovery. This trip was also an excellent school for the future archaeologist.

Beginning of a scientific career

Since then, Carter's life has been completely devoted to the study of antiquities hidden in the sands of the Nile Valley. Two years after his scientific debut on the Petri expedition, he becomes a participant in another major project implemented by the Foundation of Egyptian Archeology. These were research works carried out in a terraced mortuary in western Thebes. It was they who brought the young scientist his first fame.

The fame he acquired in scientific circles allowed Carter to take a very respectable place in society in 1899, becoming Inspector General of the Egyptian Department of Antiquities. A number of discoveries he made date back to this period, among which the most famous is the tomb of Saint-Neuf at Cournay.

He held such a high post until 1905, when he was forced to resign - according to one version, as a result of a conflict with one of the influential representatives of the press, according to another, after he famously pacified a group of drunken Frenchmen who had staged a brawl on the territory of one of the historical complexes. Having interrupted his administrative activities, archaeologist Howard Carter does not stop scientific research and is engaged in painting.

Beginning of collaboration with Lord Carnarvon

In the new year, 1906, an event occurred that largely determined Carter’s future fate and predetermined the main discovery of his life. At one of the meetings of the British Scientific Society, Howard was introduced to the amateur archaeologist and collector of antiquities Lord Carnarvon, who became his friend and sponsor for many years.

The new friends received official permission to conduct excavations only in 1919, when the concession of the previous producer of scientific research in the area, T. Davis, expired. By this time, several generations of archaeologists had dug into the Valley of the Virgins, and it was believed that its resources were completely exhausted. However, Carter was not convinced by the skeptics' arguments. A detailed study of the valley showed that there were still enough places in it untouched by scientists. These were mainly areas covered with a layer of rubble left over from previous excavations.

Carter's scientific hypotheses

Having compared the finds of previous mummies discovered in the Valley of the Virgins with the information that scientists had about possible burials here, Howard Carter came to the conclusion that there remains one more mummy in the ground, undiscovered and, apparently, of greatest interest to scientists. Just as an astronomer, before discovering a new star with a telescope, theoretically proves its existence on paper, so Carter, on the basis of previously accumulated knowledge, came to the conviction of the existence of an unknown tomb here. Simply put, before finding Tutankhamun's grave, Carter figured it out.

However, in order for the reasoning, even the most convincing, to turn into tangible results, a lot of work had to be done, and it was mainly carried out by Carter. His companion was limited to general control over the ongoing excavations and financing them. We must give him his due - without his money, as well as without Carter’s energy, the world would not have seen the treasures of Tutankhamun for a long time.

Start of practical activities

The outbreak of the First World War added to the difficulties for scientists. Although excavations were carried out during this period, they were carried out sporadically and with long interruptions. As a person liable for military service, Carter could not devote all his time to his favorite business. The grave robbers who intensified their activities created a great obstacle to the work during the war. Taking advantage of the fact that, due to military operations, the state had weakened control over the preservation of ancient monuments, they unceremoniously managed them, creating a threat to the life and safety of researchers.

Only in 1917 was it possible to begin cleaning the bottom of the Valley of the Virgins from the layers of rubble that had accumulated here over many centuries. For the excavations, they chose an area limited by three tombs: Ramesses II, Ramesses VI and Mernept. Over the next four years, work carried out with great effort and requiring many thousands of pounds sterling did not bring any tangible results.

last try

The failures that have plagued archaeologists over recent years have led Lord Carnarvon to despair. Having invited his partner to his family estate in the summer of 1922, he announced to him his intention to complete the work, which, apparently, promised nothing but expenses. Only Carter's ardent conviction was able to save Carnarvon from a cowardly act and convince him to extend the concession for another season.

At the end of October 1922, Howard Carter (a photo from that period is presented at the beginning of the article) resumed work. In order to completely clear the bottom of the Valley of the Virgins, it was necessary to remove the remains of the huts of the workers who worked here in ancient times on the construction of the tomb of Ramesses VI. Their foundations protruded from the sand over a large area. This work took several days, but as soon as it was completed, stone steps were discovered on the site of one of the buildings, going deep into the ground and, apparently, never touched by excavations before.

Mysterious staircase

Everything indicated that in front of them was the entrance to some previously unknown burial place. In anticipation of good luck, we continued to work with renewed energy. Soon, having cleared the entire upper part of the stairs, the archaeologists found themselves in front of the walled-up entrance to the tomb. Carter saw that on the coating of the door there were clearly visible relief seals depicting the gods of embalming in the guise of jackals, as well as bound captives, which was a sign of royal burials.

It is interesting to note that in previous years Carter was near this mysterious door twice, but both times he missed his chance. The first time this happened was when he, as part of the expedition of T. Davis, carried out excavations here, and he, not wanting to tinker with the remains of stone huts, ordered the work to be moved to another place. The next time this happened was when, five years ago, Carter himself did not want to demolish them, since it would thereby deprive tourists of the opportunity to take photographs at these picturesque ruins.

The first joy of discovery

Finding himself at a mysterious door with intact seals, Carter punched a small hole in it and, sticking a lantern inside, made sure that the passage was covered with a centuries-old layer of rubble and debris. This proved that robbers had not been able to visit here, and perhaps the tomb would appear before them in its original form.

Despite all the surging feelings - the joy of the discovery, the impatience to get inside and the feeling of the proximity of the discovery - Carter did what the upbringing of a true English gentleman required of him. Since his companion Lord Carnarvon was in England at that moment, Howard Carter did not dare to enter the tomb without the one who financed the work all these years. He ordered the entrance to the tomb to be filled up again, and sent an urgent telegram to England, in which he informed his friend about the long-awaited discovery.

Waiting for Lord Carnarvon

The rumor about the discovery of a previously unknown burial quickly spread throughout the area and gave rise to a problem that Howard Carter himself had to solve alone before the lord arrived. A tomb is a place where not only the mummy is located, but also the treasures buried with it. Naturally, such valuables become bait for robbers who are capable of committing any crime in order to possess them. Therefore, the acute question arose of how to protect jewelry and ourselves from unwanted visitors. For this purpose, the stairs leading to the door were not only filled up, but piled on top with heavy stone fragments, and a round-the-clock guard was posted nearby.

Finally, on November 23, Lord Carnarvon arrived, and in his presence the staircase was again cleared of rubble. Two more days later, when all the preparations were completed, and the seals on the door were sketched and photographed, they began to dismantle the walled entrance to the tomb. By this point, it became obvious that what Howard Carter had been dreaming about for many years had happened - it was in front of him. This was evidenced by the inscription on one of the seals.

The second door discovered by Howard Carter

Tutankhamun became a reality from a dream. There were only a few steps left to reach him. When the obstacle in their path was removed, in the light of the lanterns the researchers saw an inclined narrow corridor, also cluttered with rubble and leading directly to the burial chamber. The Arabs hired to carry out the excavations freed it, carrying out the soil in wicker baskets. Finally the big moment arrived. On the morning of November 26, archaeologists stood in front of the second door, which also retained the ancient seals of Tutankhamun.

When the last basket of rubble was removed, Carter made a hole in the top of the door that allowed a probe to be inserted into it. The check showed that the space behind the door was completely free. Using a flashlight, Carter looked inside. What he saw exceeded all expectations. A room opened up in front of him, looking like a museum hall. It was filled with the most amazing objects, many of which scientists saw for the first time.

Treasury of Tutankhamun

First of all, the astonished archaeologist was struck by three massive golden beds, shining dimly in the light of the lantern. Behind them were black, full-length figures of the pharaoh, decorated with gold trim. The rest of the room was filled with all kinds of chests, full of jewelry, exquisitely crafted alabaster vases and various decorations made of gold and precious stones. There was only one thing missing from this treasury - there were no sarcophagi in it, no mummies of the one who owned all these riches.

The next day, electricity was installed in the tomb, and when illuminated, the second door was opened. Now the scientists had serious and painstaking work ahead of them - all the objects located behind it had to be photographed, sketched, and their location accurately indicated on the floor plan of the room. It soon became clear that under one of the two boxes there was a secret entrance to another small side room, also filled with precious objects.

Working with objects found in the tomb

Everything that Howard Carter discovered required scientific processing and systematization. Therefore, after the grand opening of the tomb took place on November 29, 1922, in the presence of officials, leading experts from many scientific centers around the world were invited to work with the exhibits discovered in it. Famous archaeologists, epigraphists, restoration chemists, artists and photographers gathered in the Valley of the Virgins.

Only three months later, when all the found objects were removed from the tomb with appropriate precautions, did they begin to open the third door discovered during the work. When it was dismantled, it revealed what Howard Carter had expected - the tomb of Tutankhamun, or more precisely, his funeral chamber.

Three thousand year old mummy

Almost the entire volume of the room was occupied by a gilded ark 5.08 meters long, 3.3 meters wide and 2.75 meters high. Inside it, like nesting dolls, there were three more smaller arks, one inside the other. When the researchers carefully dismantled them and took them outside, a quartzite sarcophagus appeared before their eyes. After its lid was lifted, inside they saw an anthropoid (made in the shape of a human figure) coffin, covered with gold. Its lid depicted Tutankhamun himself, lying with his arms crossed.

Inside it were two more similar coffins, precisely fitted to one another, so that it was very difficult to separate them. When they were removed with all precautions, in the last of them they found a mummy wrapped in shrouds more than three thousand years ago. His face was covered with a golden mask, made with extraordinary perfection and weighing nine kilograms.

What Howard Carter did is recognized as the greatest discovery in the history of archaeology. The ruler of Egypt, who died at a young age and rested in a tomb opened by scientists, immediately became the object of attention of millions of people. Howard Carter himself also gained worldwide fame. The contribution he made to the study of the history of Ancient Egypt was so great that it allowed him to paint a completely new picture of the funeral rituals of the Middle Kingdom.

Childhood

Howard Carter was the youngest of 8 children of Samuel and Martha Carter. Howard Carter spent his childhood in Swaffham in Norfolk, which is why in many sources this town is designated as the birthplace of the Egyptologist. Carter's father, an artist by profession, taught his son to draw from childhood, while instilling an interest in cultural history.

Carier start

Howard Carter had been involved in archeology since 1891, joining the British Egyptian Archaeological Research Organization at the age of 17. By 1899, he had taken part in a number of archaeological expeditions in Egypt, sketching the inscriptions, sculptures and architecture of Ancient Egypt. In particular, he worked on excavations at Beni Hassan, a seat from the Middle Kingdom period. For some time, the aspiring Egyptologist worked under the leadership of a leading expert in the field of archeology, William Flinders Petrie. He became famous for his studies of Djeser Djeseru, built in the 15th century BC, carried out in 1893-1899. e. by the architect Senmut for the female pharaoh Hatshepsut a terraced funerary temple and rock tomb at Deir el-Bahri in western Thebes.

Carter's success in opening the Temple of Hatshepsut (Deir el-Bahri) led to his appointment in 1899 as inspector general of the Egyptian Department of Antiquities, from which he resigned in 1905 after a conflict between the guards of Egyptian monuments and a group of rampaging drunken French tourists. From 1902 to 1914, Carter inspected the work of American archaeologist Theodore Davis, who received permission from the Egyptian government to excavate in the Valley of the Kings. Davis and Carter discovered a number of tombs of famous pharaohs of the New Kingdom, in particular, the tombs of Queen Hatshepsut, Horemheb, Ramesses Saptah, as well as a sarcophagus with remains identified with the mummy of the “heretic pharaoh” Akhenaten.

Collaboration with Lord Carnarvon

In 1906, Howard Carter met the amateur archaeologist and collector of antiquities Lord Carnarvon, who allocated funds for further archaeological research of his professional colleague. Since 1914, Carter and Carnarvon began joint excavations in the Valley of the Kings. As a result of their cooperation, during the excavations of the Theban necropolis, the tomb of Amenhotep I and the burials of several queens of the 18th dynasty were discovered. Further excavations were interrupted by the First World War, but as soon as circumstances permitted, Carter persuaded Carnarvon to continue research in the Valley of the Kings.

Opening of Tutankhamun's tomb

The tandem of Carter and Carnarvon soon became world famous: the gambling Carnarvon found a brave, practical and selfless professional, ideally suited to realize the idea that the lord was obsessed with - the discovery of the tomb of a hitherto unknown ephemeral pharaoh of the late 18th dynasty - Tutankhamun. The scientific community was skeptical about the research of Carter and Carnarvon, and soon the lord himself lost interest in the unsuccessful excavations. However, on November 4, 1922, Carter found the buried entrance to tomb KV62, and the seals on the doors were intact, which raised serious hopes for the possibility of making the largest archaeological discovery of the century. The builders of the tomb of the XX dynasty pharaoh Ramesses VI apparently covered the path to the tomb of Tutankhamun, which explained its relative safety.

November 26 and 27, 1922 Carter, his assistant Arthur Callender (Italian), Lord Carnarvon and Lady Evelyn entered the chamber, becoming the first modern humans to enter it. Callender illuminated the pile of funerary objects with an electric lamp. They also found two sealed passages, including one that led to a burial chamber. According to the diary of Lord Carnarvon's half-brother Mervyn Herbert, Lady Evelyn was the first to step inside, being small in comparison with other participants in the secret sortie.

After lengthy excavations, on February 16, 1923, Carter finally descended into the burial chamber of the tomb (“Golden Chamber”), where the pharaoh’s sarcophagus was located. Among the utensils and other objects buried with him, many examples of art bearing the stamp of the influence of the Amarna period were discovered. The tomb of the young king, which remained sealed for more than three thousand years, was practically untouched by tomb robbers and contained more than three and a half thousand objects of art, most of which are now in the Cairo Museum. The most famous exhibit of the museum is considered to be the death mask of Tutankhamun, found in the same tomb, made of 11.26 kg of pure gold and many precious stones.

The discovery of the tomb of the little-known successor of the famous Akhenaten was reported in the media as the most significant discovery in the history of Egyptology and, perhaps, archeology in general. The owner of the discovered treasure, then a practically unknown young ruler of Egypt, immediately became an object of increased attention, and the phenomenal discovery not only made his name well known, but also caused another surge of renewed interest in all traces of Egyptian civilization in the modern world.

"Curse of the Pharaohs"

Performance results

Carter's excavations in the Valley of the Kings sparked widespread interest in archeology in general and Ancient Egypt in particular.

Image in popular culture

Literature

Cinema

Notes

1. SNAC - 2010.
2. Find a Grave - 1995. - ed. size: 165000000
3. Babelio
4. BNF ID: Open Data Platform - 2011.
5. Union List of Artist Names - 2010.
6. LIBRIS - 2012.
7. Howard Carter. Howard Carter's diary and journal 1922. (undefined) . www.griffith.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
8. Reeves, C. N. Valley of the Kings: the decline of a royal necropolis. - London: Kegan Paul, 1990. - P. 63. - ISBN 0-7103-0368-8.
9. Person Page (undefined) . www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
10. Thomas Hoving. Tutankhamun: The Untold Story. - Cooper Square Publishing, 1978. - ISBN 9780815411864.
11. Encyclopedia of the Archeology of Ancient Egypt // ed. Kathryn A. Bard - S. 191
12. Philip Vandenberg. Der König von Luxor. - Köln: Bastei Entertainment, 2014. - ISBN 9783838757773.