In Egypt, British archaeologist Howard Carter and his men find the entrance to Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

Howard Carter (1874–1939) was a British archaeologist and Egyptologist best known for discovering the virtually intact tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings in 1922. Born in Kensington, London, Carter developed an early interest in art and archaeology, despite having little formal education. At the age of 17, he travelled to Egypt to work as an archaeological artist, copying inscriptions and decorations from ancient tombs. His talent and dedication eventually led him to become an experienced excavator and, in 1899, Chief Inspector of Antiquities for Upper Egypt. Carter became convinced that the tomb of Tutankhamun, a relatively obscure pharaoh who ruled during the 18th Dynasty around 1332–1323 BCE, remained hidden somewhere in the Valley of the Kings. With financial backing from the wealthy British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, he began an extensive search for the missing royal burial.

After several years of unsuccessful excavations, Lord Carnarvon considered withdrawing his financial support, but Carter persuaded him to fund one final season of digging. On 4 November 1922, Carter’s team discovered a stone step beneath the debris near the entrance to the tomb of Ramesses VI. Further excavation revealed a staircase leading to a sealed doorway bearing ancient Egyptian royal seals. Carter immediately informed Carnarvon, who travelled from England to witness the opening. On 26 November 1922, Carter made a small opening in a second sealed doorway and peered inside by candlelight. When Carnarvon asked whether he could see anything, Carter famously replied, “Yes, wonderful things.” Before him lay an extraordinary collection of gilded furniture, statues, ceremonial objects, chariots and other treasures that had remained largely undisturbed for more than 3,000 years. The discovery became an international sensation and sparked a worldwide fascination with ancient Egypt, often described as Tutmania.

The excavation of Tutankhamun’s tomb, designated KV62, proved to be an enormous archaeological undertaking that required years of painstaking work. Although the tomb had been entered by robbers in antiquity, its contents were remarkably well preserved compared with most other royal burials in the Valley of the Kings. Carter and his team carefully photographed, catalogued and conserved more than 5,000 objects, including jewellery, weapons, clothing, beds, shrines and ceremonial equipment intended to accompany the young pharaoh into the afterlife. On 16 February 1923, Carter opened the sealed burial chamber, revealing a series of gilded shrines surrounding Tutankhamun’s stone sarcophagus. Inside were three nested coffins, the innermost made of solid gold, containing the mummified remains of the pharaoh. The most celebrated discovery was Tutankhamun’s magnificent gold funerary mask, which became one of the most recognisable symbols of ancient Egyptian civilisation. The excavation continued for nearly a decade, with the final objects removed from the tomb in 1930.

The discovery transformed the study of ancient Egypt by providing an unprecedented collection of royal objects from the New Kingdom period. It offered valuable insights into Egyptian religious beliefs, burial customs, craftsmanship and everyday life during the 14th century BCE. However, the excavation was also surrounded by controversy and sensational newspaper stories, particularly following Lord Carnarvon’s death from an infected mosquito bite in April 1923. His death helped fuel the legend of the “Curse of the Pharaohs,” which claimed that those who disturbed Tutankhamun’s resting place would suffer terrible consequences. Carter himself dismissed these superstitions and continued his archaeological work, eventually dying in London on 2 March 1939 at the age of 64. Although modern archaeologists have questioned some of his excavation methods and the colonial circumstances surrounding the discovery, Carter’s achievement remains one of the most significant events in the history of archaeology. The treasures of Tutankhamun continue to fascinate millions of people and have made the young Egyptian king one of the most famous rulers of the ancient world.