English archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter, who was born in London on May 9, 1874, became interested in archeology in his youth. In 1906, fate brought him together with the British rich man and lover of antiquities, Lord George Herbert Carnarvon, who allocated a small amount of money for Carter’s research. However, after observing the work of an archaeologist a little and making sure of his professionalism, he increased funding several times, despite the fact that he was considered difficult to communicate and an arrogant person.

In 1914, Carnarvon purchased from the American scientist Theodore Davis his concession to excavate in the Valley of the Kings - Davis believed that there he could not find anything worthwhile anymore. However, Carter was of a different opinion. During World War I, excavations were stopped, but for nearly three years Carter walked around the Valley of the Kings and worked on a plan for future research. He intended to find the burial of the pharaoh Tutankhamen, a little-known at that time, the existence of which many in general doubted.

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Several factors prompted him to this idea: some of Davis's findings, an analysis of the list of mummies found earlier, and the fact that, according to some sources, the semi-legendary Tutankhamun ended his life in Thebes and therefore could be buried in the Valley of Kings.

In 1917, an expedition led by Carter and Carnarvon began to prepare a site for excavations between the tombs of Ramses II, Merneptah and Ramses VI. Were removed tons of soil and stones. Researchers even laid a railroad track for garbage collection. But over the course of several years of searching, they still have not advanced, having made several uninteresting and insignificant finds. By the early 1920s, Carnarvon was left without available funds and, moreover, became very ill. He wanted to transfer his studies to another place, and winter-1922/23 was to be the last season of work at the old place. By this time, a small area of ​​land with remains of old huts was uncleared. Carter ordered to demolish them and finish the research.

On November 3, 1922, the workers clearing the site stumbled upon stone steps going underground. After two days of work, it became clear that this is a tomb. Seeing that the prints on it are intact, Carter urgently summoned Carnarvon to his place.

  • Seals at the entrance to the tomb of Tutankhamen
  • © Wikipedia

The entrance to the tomb temporarily fell asleep. On November 23, an excavator sponsor arrived at the site with his daughter Evelyn Herbert. The next day, Carter discovered on the seals the throne name of Pharaoh Tutankhamen - Nebheprur. However, doubts still remained - the archaeologist was afraid that the tomb was unfinished or belonged not to Pharaoh, but to some of his nobles. On the 26th, he reached the door leading to the front room of the building. Sticking a lamp into a small hole made in the wall, Carter saw a glitter of gold on all sides.

Tutankhamen's tomb

When the opening was widened, Lady Evelyn entered the front room. A quick inspection revealed that a truly unique discovery had been made. On November 27, officers of the Antiquities Service were summoned to the tomb. Carter was worried that the robbers had obviously been in the room: confusion reigned in one of the side chambers. However, in the front room everything was preserved.

Carter did not want to let outsiders into the tomb, but rumors of the discovery had already reached the authorities. Under their pressure, on November 29, they had to conduct an official opening procedure for high-ranking guests. In a matter of days, the archeologist became a world celebrity, and his discovery became an international sensation. Carnarvon sold The Times the right to cover research for a fabulous sum of £ 5,000 - and a percentage of royalties.

  • The work of archaeologists in the tomb
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  • © Scherl

Realizing the scope of work, Carter turned to the world scientific community for help. Well-known archaeologists, architects, chemists and biologists from different countries responded to his call. On December 25, 1922, scientists began to retrieve artifacts from the tomb, and in February 1923, in the presence of government officials, they began to open the burial chambers.

They discovered a huge gilded ark, inside which was another. A treasure chest adjoined the funeral room, containing objects of art. However, soon the work had to be curtailed before the start of the new archaeological season - December 1923.

On January 3, 1924, archaeologists uncovered the third and fourth arks, revealing part of one of the greatest values ​​— the stone sarcophagus of monolithic red quartzite. On a neat analysis of the arks left exactly a month. February 3, scientists saw the sarcophagus in all its glory, and on the 12th it was opened.

But soon the work was stopped - the actions of Carter tried to lead the authorities recently declared their independence of Egypt. In response, the scientist declared a strike, and then returned to Britain altogether, where he expressed disapproval in the press about Egyptian officials and began to lecture on his discovery. Diplomats intervened in the process, and by the end of the year, Carter was able to return to work.

  • Carter opened the tomb
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In 1925, he opened the third, golden sarcophagus and extracted from it the mummy of the pharaoh himself, who died more than 3 thousand years ago. Following the burial chamber, a pantry was investigated, containing about 2 thousand items more. Work in the tomb continued until the end of 1930, and the compilation of catalogs until 1932.

Pharaoh's “Curse”

In the 1920s, journalists discovered that soon after the opening of the tomb, a number of research participants and their loved ones had passed away. They immediately counted 22 "mysterious deaths", including the death of Lord Carnarvon, who died on April 5, 1923. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle added fuel to the fire, suggesting that the research sponsor was killed by some "elementals" created by the priests of Tutankhamen.

However, modern scientists do not see in the history of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen and the subsequent fate of archaeologists no mystery. “Carter’s team worked in the Valley of the Kings when the heat reached +50 ° C. There were no deaths, as the press wrote about it then. A patron of the excavation, George Herbert Carnarvon, died of a banal infection of the blood, taking an infection while shaving, ”says historian Viktor Solkin.

In addition, journalists chose not to focus on the fact that the majority of deceased scientists were far beyond 70 years.

As for the death of Howard Carter, the great archaeologist and Egyptologist died at the age of 64 due to lymphogranulose cancer of the lymphatic system seven years after his brilliant discovery.

According to Svetlana Malykh, a senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, rumors of a “damnation” contradict even “mystical logic”. “In general, in theory, the first victim of the curse was to be Carter himself, who opened the tomb. But he lived long enough. Lord Carnarvon initially did not have good health, and in his death there is nothing mysterious. And among other dead scientists prevailed, which already at the time of discovery was over 70 years old. As for the inscriptions with curses to the disturbers of peace of the dead, the Egyptians did leave them, but this did not prevent even their contemporaries from robbing the graves, ”she said in an interview with RT.

  • Finds from the tomb of Tutankhamen
  • Reuters
  • © Charles Platiau

At the same time, in her story with the “curse of the pharaohs,” in her opinion, there can be a rational grain. “The tombs have remained shut for thousands of years. Of course, all this time something harmful could be hidden in them - fungi, bacteria, some kind of radioactive objects. This danger is more real than the curses of the Egyptian priests, and of course you should not forget about it, ”Svetlana Malykh noted.

Pharaoh's Legacy

During World War II and immediately after it, research related to Tutankhamen was practically not conducted. Only in the 1960s, the interest in the discovery of Carter was revived. In the leading countries of the world there were exhibitions of artifacts found in the tomb, causing a real sensation.

In 2012, the burial chamber was opened for tourists - there is a quartzite sarcophagus in it, and the objects found in the tomb remained in Egyptian museums.

  • The tomb is open for guided tours.
  • Reuters
  • © Mohamed Abd El Ghany

According to historians, Tutankhamen ruled in 1332-1323 years BC. e. There are heated debates about its origin, details of the board and causes of death in the scientific environment. He is called the son of Pharaoh Akhenaten, then the son of the heir Akhenaten Smenhkar. If earlier it was thought that he came to the throne at about 9-10 years and the dead already at 19 Tutankhamen did not have time to do anything meaningful, nowadays they look at it differently.

“Nine years of the reign of the young king were associated with the revival of Egyptian traditional culture. His probable father, Akhenaten, and his wife Nefertiti were religious reformers who refused to worship the traditional gods of Egypt. Together with his entourage, Akhenaton fought the old priesthood of the famous god Amon. Tutankhamen’s father was a reformer who abandoned traditional culture, created his own style of art and instilled new religious beliefs. All this was simultaneously connected with the fall of Egyptian temples, which were centers of knowledge, science, art — the bastions of the ancient Egyptian civilization, ”said Victor Solkin, president of the Association for the Study of Ancient Egypt, IAAT, told RT.

According to the expert, after some time after Tutankhamen came to power in Egypt, everything changed. “When Tutankhamen ascended the throne at the age of nine, it was first influenced by the regents and then he restored the traditional culture of his own free will. When it began to open temples, work scientific and art schools. The role of the king as a person who revived the traditional culture of ancient Egypt is great. This is evidenced not only by written sources, but also by the colossal temple buildings built in his time, images of gods, characterized by a high level of artistic performance, ”said Solkin.

  • Sarcophagus of Tutankhamen
  • Reuters
  • © Yves Herman

In the ninth year of the reign of Tutankhamen died. There are several versions of his death. They include an attempt on the part of the regent Aye, and a fall from the chariot during a hunt, and death from complicated malaria. After the death of Tutankhamen, power passed first to Ey, and then to the commander Horemheb. There are no heirs left by either Tutankhamen himself or his successors. Thus, the eighteenth dynasty of the rulers of Egypt was interrupted by them.

According to Svetlana Malykh, the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb is not in vain considered to be one of the most prominent archaeological discoveries in history.

“It was practically untouched royal burial, the only one of its kind. There were not only jewels, but also numerous household items, food. It is thanks to this discovery that we can draw conclusions regarding how rich Egyptians lived, what they did, and what they ate. This is a clear cut of ancient Egyptian life, ”Svetlana Malykh summarized.