King Tutankhamun and His Treasures

King Tutankhamun and His Treasures

The ancient Egyptians were noted for many things, one of which would have been their artwork. Egyptians used many medians in their artwork that enhanced the details and beauty of every piece of art. Their artwork is fascinating and mysterious, which pulls in the viewer into wanting to learn more. One of the most important and unique Egyptian artworks belongs to King Tutankhamun, a young pharaoh of Egypt. A brief history of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb and the importance and beauty of certain pieces found in his tomb, will be discussed in this essay.

King Tutankhamun’s tomb was the prize that archaeologist Howard Carter sought out for in the Valley of the Kings. Carter was running out of time and also the Earl of Carnarvon’s patience. Disappointed for years by Carter’s discoveries, Carnarvon told Carter to not apply anymore for the renewal of his excavating concession. Only by his pleading and offers to pay the cost himself if nothing were found convinced Carnarvon to add one more excavating season. At the time, thirty-three tombs had been discovered, and thieves who had pillaged and destroyed them had already broken into all. Because of this, it was believed that the Valley burial ground held no more secrets.

Carter disagreed and was more determined than ever to find the tomb. Eventually, three pieces of evidence discovered by Theodore M. Davis, and examined by H. E. Winlock, led Carter to believe that King Tut’s tomb was yet to be found. The three artifacts were a faience cup bearing the pharaoh’s name, a small, mud-filled pit tomb containing pictures and inscriptions of King Tut and his wife, and the third was a collection of pottery jars, each sealed with King Tut’s seal. Carter had a hypothesis that King Tut’s tomb may be found in a small area in the Valley where archeologists had not yet dug into. It was a very strenuous job, considering the floor of the Valley was covered with tons of rock and sand, and all they had was manual labor. Soon enough though, a staircase was discovered followed by a door with its seals still intact. In 1922, Carter had indeed discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun!

King Tut became pharaoh at the age of nine and ruled for nine years until his death at eighteen. The cause of his death is unknown. The period he ruled was that of economic prosperity and some re...

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...s the god Shu, holding the curved piece, which was to represent him saving the world from chaos by holding up the sky. A lion was also carved on the base on the left and right side of Shu. The base represented the earth and the lions symbolized the mountains on the western and eastern horizons. This piece has no close parallel in Egyptian art.

The artwork described above was only a tiny portion of what was discovered in King Tutankhamun’s tomb. It was very interesting to see the ancient artifacts and know the purpose that each one served—jars holding organs and concoctions, musical instruments, and statues that served as protection are just a few examples of what the Egyptians used in their tombs. Their art represents how loyal and elegant the Egyptian culture was. Even though King Tutankhamun was not one of the most famous pharaohs, his treasures will live on and educate people into knowing more about him and the Egyptians.

Bibliography

Buckley, Tom, and Wente F., Edward. Treasures of Tutankhamun. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1976.

“Tutankhamen.” Encarta, 1998 ed. CD-ROM. Microsoft, 1998.

National Geographic Society. Ancient Egypt. Washington D.C., 1978.