In the Valley of the Kings, on November 4, 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter, and his workmen discovered a step leading to the tomb of Tutankhamen. By this time in 1922, many archaeologist believed that the valley had yielded its secrets and that most of the ancient Egyptian tombs had been discovered.
The Egyptians began to bury their royalty in the Valley of the Kings during the New Kingdom around 1539 B.C. - 1075 B.C., about a 500 year span. The Valley of the Kings is a valley that stands on the west bank of the Nile, in what is considered upper Egypt. It is opposite the ancient city of Thebes (modern day Luxor), within the heart of the Thebean Necropolis.The valley is known to contain 63 tombs and chambers, ranging in size from a simple pit to a complex tomb with over 120 chambers. This area began to be heavily excavated and explored by the end of the eighteenth century, and most of the tombs had been discovered.
Carter began searching the valley after WWI, for the tomb of an obscure king from the 18th dynasty named Tutankhamun. The boy king has since become one of Egypt's most famous pharaohs, but when Carter began his search, his name--Tutankhamun-- was only known in scholarly circles. After years of searching, Carter and his men finally found steps to King Tut's burial room hidden in the debris near the entrance of the nearby tomb of King Ramses VI. Having cleared the debris from the stairs, the men revealed the top of the doorway sealed in plaster. They had just found the door with undisturbed seals.
Three weeks later, on November 26, 1922, Carter and fellow archaeologist and financial backer, Lord Carnarvon, entered the interior chambers of the tomb, finding them miraculously intact. Thus, began a huge excavation process, where Carter carefully explored the four-room tomb over several years, and uncovered a priceless collection of several thousand objects. This rare find became worldwide news, and sparked a renewed interest in ancient Egypt. King Tut's death mask has even become a popular symbol of ancient Egypt.
In honor of the 96th Anniversary of the discovery of King Tut's tomb.
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