Tutankhamen’s burial chamber unsealed
Egyptian ruler King Tutankhamen’s burial chamber unsealed
Egypt post souvenir sheet Discovery of Tutankhamon’s Tomb, Centenary
Issued November 4, 2022, for the anniversary of the opening of Tut’s burial chamber
On February 16, 1923, Howard Carter, Lord Carnarvon, a number of Egyptian officials and observers made their way down the steps that led to an ancient, sealed doorway. Behind that door lay the final resting place of young Pharoah Tutankhamen. For 3,000 years the treasures of Tut laid untouched and almost forgotten until Carter and his team uncovered the steps leading to Tut’s tomb in November 1922. By February, the tomb had been explored and documented with the exception of one chamber – Tutankhamen’s burial chamber.
With onlookers waiting in anticipation, Carter broke the clay seal, made a hole in the door and peered inside.
It was sometime before one could see, the hot air escaping caused the candle to flicker, but as soon as one’s eyes became accustomed to the glimmer of light the interior of the chamber gradually loomed before one, with its strange and wonderful medley of extraordinary and beautiful objects heaped upon one another. Howard Carter’s Diary from the Feb.
Unable to handle his excitement, Lord Carnarvon clamored for details asking, “Can you see anything?” In his journal, Carter wrote he replied with a simple “Yes, it is wonderful.”, not the oft quoted “Yes, wonderful things.”
Carter continued to work on the hole, widening it to allow them to enter, the first people to see his coffin and treasures since his burial chamber was sealed sometime in 1323 BCE.
When the hole was wide enough Carter had a good look in and found we could just get round the right side of the tabernacle and walk along. He reported the outer door of the tabernacle was open, but that there was a second smaller one inside with the door still sealed and that there was another chamber opening off to the right. We then passed in our big travelling electric light, and Carnarvon and Lacau went in to see. Then Lady Evelyn – the only woman present, with Sir William Garstin, and then the others two by two. It was curious to watch them come out. With hardly an exception each person threw up his hands and gasped. Lucas and I went in together when it came to our turn. There was just room to squeeze round the corner of the tabernacle and walk along the side of it. In the middle were the great swing doors with open bars. Within you could see the second structure with sealed door and above it, on a frame, a pall dropping over it, of linen, spangled with gold stars. Between the first and second tabernacles there were two wonderful alabasters, one in the form of a cat or lioncub.
Passing along, you came on the right to a low open doorway, and looking into this you saw facing you against the far wall, the most impressive monument I’ve ever seen – a huge wooden shrine covered with gold to contain the canopic jars, and full standing guarding it one on each side there were four goddesses, the mosty lovely female figures, absolutely natural and lifelike in their poise, one with back turned and two looking sideways over their shoulders. For modelling I really think they beat anything I have ever seen from any country. For the rest, the chamber was full, boxes mostly. One we looked into and it contained a most lovely gold and ostrich feather fan, apparently in perfect condition. There were also a number of boats, two more chariots and a number of other things.
My mind was too confused and excited to take them in. The whole thing was really almost painfully impressive. With one exception of the hurried visit of the thieves some ten years after the King’s death, none had set foot in the chamber since the King was laid to rest more than three thousand years before. One didn’t dare let one’s imagination get too vividly to work. The figures of the goddesses alone were so beautiful that they made a lump come in one’s throat. It was a quarter past two when we went down into the tomb, and it was after five when we came out, and I think we were all fairly dazed, too dazed even to realize what we had found. Now it is all buried deep underground again waiting for next season’s work.
A. C. Mace’s account
of the opening of the burial chamber of Tutankhamun on February 16, 1923
© Griffith Institute, University of Oxford
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The 2022 Tutankhamun Discovery 100th Anniversary Gold Sovereign Range – Hattons of London