Despite the fact that almost a century has passed since the day Howard Carter found the grave of Tutankhamun, interest in the discovery of this English archaeologist has not died away. 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 find of all that has ever been made in Egypt.
Howard Carter, biography of a future scientist
In 1874, a son was born to the large family of the then-famous English animal artist Samuel Carter, who lived in Norfolk, who was given the name Howard. When the child grew up, the father did his best to give him a home education, which allows him to take a worthy place in society. Having discovered his son's ability to draw, Samuel tried to instill in him the skills in this art.
Thanks to his father’s connections in the scientific world, the seventeen-year-old Howard Carter took part for the first time in an archaeological expedition that went to Egypt under the leadership of the leading Egyptologist of that time, Flinders Petri. He was entrusted with the duties of a draftsman, which allowed the young man to come into close contact with objects of bygone eras, and feel an exciting sense of discovery. This trip was also an excellent school for the future archaeologist.
The beginning of a scientific career
Since then, Carter’s life has been entirely devoted to the study of antiquities hidden in the sands of the Nile Valley. Two years after his scientific debut in the Petri expedition, he becomes a member of another major project implemented by the Egyptian Archeology Foundation. These were research works carried out in the terrace memorial temple of Queen Hatshepsut in the west of Thebes. It was they who brought the young scientist first glory.
The fame acquired by him in scientific circles, allowed Carter in 1899 to take a very solid place in society, becoming the inspector general of the Egyptian Department of Antiquities. This period includes a number of discoveries made by him, among which the most famous is the tomb of Saint-Nave in Courne.
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 most influential members of the press, according to another, after he famously pacified a company of drunken Frenchmen who staged a brawl on the territory of one of the historical complexes. Interrupting his administrative activities, the archaeologist Howard Carter does not stop scientific research and is engaged in painting.
Beginning of cooperation with Lord Carnarvon
In the new, 1906 year, an event occurred that largely determined Carter's further 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 archeologist and collector of antiquities, Lord Carnarvon, who for many years became his friend and sponsor.
New friends received official permission to conduct excavations only in 1919, when the term of the concession for the former producer of scientific research in this area, T. Davis, ended. By this time, several generations of archaeologists had rummaged in the Valley of the Maidens, and it was believed that its resources were completely exhausted. However, the arguments of the skeptics did not convince Carter. A detailed study of the valley showed that there were still enough places left untouched by scientists. These were mainly areas covered with a layer of rubble left over from previous excavations.
Carter's scientific hypotheses
Comparing the finds of previous mummies discovered in the Valley of the Maidens with the information about the possible burials that scientists had, Howard Carter came to the conclusion that another mummy remains in the earth, not found and, apparently, is of most interest to scientists. 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 conclusion that there is an unknown tomb here. Simply put, Carter calculated it before finding Tutankhamun’s grave.
However, in order for the reasoning, even the most convincing ones, to turn into real tangible fruits, a great deal of work had to be done, moreover, it was carried out mainly by Carter. His companion was limited to general control over the excavations, and their financing. We must give him his due - without his money, as well as without Carter’s energy, the world would not have seen Tutankhamun’s treasures for a long time.
The beginning of practical activity
Added complexity to scientists and the outbreak of World War I. Excavations during this period, although carried out, are episodic and with large interruptions. As a person liable for military service, Carter could not devote all his time to his beloved business. A great obstacle to the work during the war was the intensified grave robbers. Taking advantage of the fact that due to military operations the state weakened control over the preservation of ancient monuments, they unceremoniously ruled them, creating a threat to the life and safety of researchers.
Only in 1917 it was possible to start cleaning the bottom of the Valley of the Maidens from layers of rubble that had accumulated here over a centuries-old period. For the excavation, a site was selected bounded by three tombs: Ramses II, Ramses VI and Mernept. Over the next four years of work, carried out with great stress and requiring many thousands of pounds, did not bring any tangible results.
last try
The failures that have plagued archaeologists in recent years have led Lord Carnarvon to despair. Inviting a companion in the summer of 1922 to his family estate, he announced his intention to finish the work, which, apparently, did not bode well for anything 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 of that period is presented at the beginning of the article) resumed work. To completely clean the bottom of the Valley of the Maidens, it was necessary to remove the remains of the huts of workers who worked here in antiquity over the construction of the tomb of Ramses VI. Their foundations protruded from sand over a large area. This work took several days, but as soon as it was completed, on the site of one of the buildings stone steps were found that went deep into the earth and, as you can see, never before touched by excavations.
Mysterious staircase
Everything said that before them was the entrance to some previously unknown burial ground. In anticipation of good luck, they continued to work with renewed vigor. Soon, having cleared the entire upper part of the stairs, archaeologists found themselves in front of the walled entrance to the tomb. Carter saw that relief markings were clearly visible on the door plaster, depicting the embalming gods in the guise of jackals, as well as bound prisoners, which was a sign of the royal burials.
It is interesting to note that in previous years, Carter was twice next to this mysterious door, but both times missed his chance. This happened for the first time when, as part of the expedition of T. Davis, he excavated here, and he, not wanting to tinker with the remains of stone huts, ordered the work to be transferred to another place. The next time this happened, when five years ago, Carter himself did not want to demolish them, since he would thereby deprive tourists of the opportunity to take pictures of these picturesque ruins.
First joy of discovery
Once at the 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 rubbish. This proved that the robbers were not able to visit here, and perhaps the tomb will appear before them in its original form.
Despite all the surging feelings - the joy of finding, the impatience to get inside and the feeling of closeness of discovery - Carter did as required from him to educate a true English gentleman. Since his companion, Lord Carnarvon, was at that time in England, Howard Carter did not dare to enter the tomb without the one who financed all these years of work. He ordered the entrance to the tomb to be filled again, and sent an urgent telegram to England, in which he informed his friend about the long-awaited find.
Waiting for Lord Carnarvon
The rumor of the discovery of a previously unknown burial quickly spread around and created a problem that Howard Carter himself had to solve alone before the arrival of the lord. The tomb is a place where not only the mummy is located, but also the treasures buried with it. Naturally, such values become bait for robbers who are capable of any crime for the sake of possessing them. Therefore, with all acuteness, the question arose of how to protect jewelry and ourselves from unwanted visitors. For this purpose, the staircase leading to the door was not only filled up, but heaped up with heavy stone fragments from above, and 24-hour security was set nearby.
Finally, on November 23, Lord Carnarvon arrived, and in his presence the staircase was again freed from rubble. Two days later, when all preparations were completed, and the seals on the door, sketched and photographed, began to dismantle the walled entrance to the tomb. At this point, it became apparent that what had been dreamed of for so many years, Howard Carter - the tomb of Tutankhamun was in front of him. This was evidenced by the inscription on one of the seals.
The second door Howard Carter discovered
Tutankhamun from dreams became a reality. There were only a few steps left. When the barrier on their way 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 excavate, freed him, carrying soil in wicker baskets. Finally came the main point. On the morning of November 26, archaeologists stood in front of the second door, which also preserved the ancient seals of Tutankhamun.
When the last basket of crushed stone was carried out, Carter made a hole in the upper part of the door, which allowed him to insert a probe into it. Inspection showed that the space behind the door is completely free. Using the flashlight, Carter looked inside. What he saw exceeded all expectations. In front of him was a room that looked like a museum hall. It was filled with the most amazing objects, many of which scientists saw for the first time.
Tutankhamun's Treasury
First of all, three massive golden boxes rushed dull in the light of a lantern into the astonished archaeologist's eyes. 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, the finest work of alabaster vases and various ornaments of gold and precious stones. There was only one missing in this treasury - there were neither sarcophagi, nor the mummy of the one to whom all these riches belonged to.
The next day, electricity was drawn into the tomb, and when it was lit, a second door was opened. Now, scientists had a serious and painstaking work - all the objects behind it had to be photographed, sketched, and their location was accurately indicated on the floor plan. It soon became clear that under one of the two lodges there was a secret entrance to another small side room, also filled with precious objects.
Work with items found in the tomb
All that Howard Carter discovered required scientific processing and systematization. Therefore, after the ceremonial opening of the tomb took place on November 29, 1922, leading experts from many scientific centers of the world were invited to work with the exhibits found in it. Famous archaeologists, epigraphists, chemists-restorers, artists and photographers gathered in the Valley of Maidens.
Only three months later, when all the objects found were taken out of the tomb with appropriate precautions, they began to open the third door discovered during the operation. When it was disassembled, it turned out to be what Howard Carter had supposed - the tomb of Tutankhamun, or rather, his funeral rest.
Three thousand years 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, were one in another three more arks of smaller sizes. When the researchers carefully disassembled them and carried them out, a quartzite sarcophagus appeared to their eyes. After its lid was lifted, inside they saw an anthropoid (made in the shape of a human figure) coffin, covered with gilding. Its lid depicted Tutankhamun himself lying with his arms crossed.
Inside it were two more of the same coffins, precisely fitted one to another, so that it was very difficult to separate them. When they were removed with all the precautions, in the last of them they found a mummy wrapped in mummies of the pharaoh himself , who died 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 archeology. The ruler of Egypt, who died at a young age and rested in an open tomb of scientists, immediately became the object of attention of millions of people. Howard Carter himself gained worldwide fame. The contribution to the study of the history of Ancient Egypt made by him was so great that it allowed a completely new way to compose a picture of the funeral rituals of the period of the Middle Kingdom.