A Serendipitous Discovery in the Valley of Kings

Carter had been on the hunt for the tomb for five years, and as funding was about to be withdrawn, a water boy's innocent digging on November 4, 1922, revealed the first step leading to the fabled tomb.

Was it the tomb of King Tut? Uncertainty loomed.

Situated in Egypt's Valley of the Kings—where rock-cut tombs for pharaohs and nobility had been excavated for five centuries—many had been stripped of their treasures long before the 1900s, earning the valley a reputation as the "valley of thieves."

It was disheartening to think of the countless tombs desecrated and treasures destroyed. However, this tomb appeared remarkably undisturbed, preserved beneath layers of earth.

The excitement was palpable among the excavation team. By dusk the following day, they had uncovered a passageway measuring ten feet in height and six feet in width. Carter fervently recorded the moment in his journal, reflecting on the urgency of his discoveries.

> “As my excitement reached a fever pitch, I examined the seal impressions on the door for clues about its owner, but found no name... It took all my self-control to resist breaking through the doorway and investigating at that moment.” [Smithsonian]

A Treasure Trove of Gold Awaits

Upon opening the stone door at the end of the corridor, Carter was met with a stunning sight—an antechamber filled with effigies of a king, falcon-headed figures, a golden throne, overturned chariots, gilded snakes, and gold shimmering in every direction.

“Gold—everywhere the glint of gold,” he would later write.

Carter dedicated over three months to cataloging and photographing the treasures found in the antechamber, which was brimming with luxurious artifacts: statues, furniture, and chests overflowing with royal treasures.

Each item was meticulously labeled, from an ivory and ebony chest to statues, linen garments, weapons, perfumes, and more. They even discovered wooden chests containing earrings, sandals, a wax heron model, a lion-shaped couch, and meat. The haul included 18 ornate walking sticks.

The Coffin of Opulence

After cataloging the antechamber, Carter faced the daunting task of breaching a blocked stone door that led to the burial chamber.

The excavation maps revealed the initial tunnel labeled (B), marking the entrance that had been uncovered by the water boy.

Upon opening the stone entrance to the burial chamber, Carter was confronted by what appeared to be a solid wall of gold. This was actually the outermost of four gilded shrines—an architectural marvel measuring 17 feet long, 11 feet wide, and 9 feet high, adorned with depictions of winged goddesses, pharaohs, and inscribed spells.

The team had to navigate through multiple nested barriers before reaching the coffin, which looked like this:

A Heartbreaking Revelation

Inside, they found the young king and his two daughters—one stillborn and the other who had lived only briefly.

This discovery would enthrall the world.

King Tut was interred within three coffins, nested like Russian dolls. The outer coffin was wooden and gold-plated, while the second was also wooden and coated in gold. Surprisingly, the innermost coffin was crafted from solid gold, measuring 74 inches and weighing 110.4 kilograms (243 lbs). Its gold value alone exceeded a million British sterling.

It was the most extravagant coffin ever found, and soon the world would be introduced to the iconic gold mask that would symbolize King Tut for generations.

His two daughters were also mummified with care, wrapped in linen and adorned with small gold masks and stacked coffins similar to his.

Later studies would reveal that one daughter was born prematurely at six months and did not survive, while the other was a full-term birth who passed soon after.

The photographs capturing this moment were taken by Harry Burton, who accompanied Carter. Originally black and white, they have since been colorized by Dynamichrome to illustrate the find's splendor.

The Countenance of a Young Ruler

Within the sarcophagus, King Tut's body was remarkably preserved.

He was a healthy young man, standing five feet, six inches tall at the time of his death.

Unlike many of his predecessors, he never engaged in battle or rode in a chariot. Due to a birth defect, he relied on a walking stick for mobility; he was born with a club foot on his left side, likely a consequence of incest, as both his parents were siblings.

Incest was a common practice among ancient royals in Egypt, intended to maintain pure bloodlines. King Tut himself married his half-sister, a daughter of his father and Nefertiti.

This fixation on pure bloodlines would ultimately lead to their downfall. If even one of King Tut's daughters had survived, the course of Egyptian history might have changed significantly.

A Tragic End with Medical Limitations

Historians have long speculated about the young king's death. Such a premature demise is often attributed to battle or illness, and in this case, it was the latter.

Forensic investigations revealed that King Tut suffered from multiple strains of malaria and had a significant femur fracture that had broken through the skin of his upper thigh.

A broken femur is a serious injury; even today, it can be fatal. In ancient times, with limited medical knowledge, the risk of death was markedly high.

It is believed that he was already battling malaria when he fell and fractured his femur, leading to an infection due to his weakened state.

Advanced Imaging Technologies

In 2005, 83 years after Carter's discovery, researchers gently placed King Tut's mummified remains into a portable CT scanner, obtaining over 1,700 high-resolution images.

Three teams of forensic scientists from France, Egypt, and the USA were provided with copies of the skull scans, tasked with reconstructing the face of the young king as he appeared over 3,300 years ago.

While the French and Egyptian teams knew they were working on King Tut's bust, the American team was unaware of the skull's origin. Remarkably, they correctly identified it as Caucasoid North African.

The results from all three teams were strikingly similar, differing only in slight details, such as the Egyptian team's depiction of a more pronounced nose.

The Daggers of Legacy

As Carter carefully unwrapped King Tut's mummy nearly a century ago, he uncovered two daggers, meticulously wrapped and secured beside the young king's body.

These daggers were evidently significant to him, as the embalmers chose to wrap them within the bandages rather than simply placing them in the coffin with other items.

What made these daggers so special? Why were they secured so closely to him?

Both daggers had gold sheaths; one featured a gold blade, while the other had an iron blade, each measuring just over a foot in length, with the iron blade fitted into a gold handle.

In King Tut's era, iron was exceedingly rare. It was highly valued—more so than gold—and was primarily reserved for artistic or ceremonial uses.

Thus, the significance of these daggers transcended their material worth. They symbolized sentiment.

Years prior to Tut's birth, King Tushratta of Mitanni gifted a dagger to Amenhotep III, Tut's grandfather, when he became his son-in-law.

King Tut was laid to rest with this precious heirloom wrapped beside him.

In 2016, researchers analyzed the iron dagger's composition using x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, revealing that it originated from the Kharga meteorite.

This meteorite crashed to Earth, landing in a limestone area west of Alexandria, a site modern explorers only identified in 2000.

Over 3,400 years ago, ancient Egyptians witnessed the meteor's descent and traveled great distances to collect its valuable metal, which they referred to as “iron from the sky,” to craft a blade for their king.

A gift passed down through generations, ultimately resting with the last of their lineage.

King Tutankhamun, a boy-king, was buried with the treasures he cherished most in his brief life—his two daughters by his side and a cherished gift from his grandfather secured next to him. History, indeed, is remarkable.