All you need to know about the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1923

CAIRO – 16 February 2022: On February 16, 1923, Howard Carter was the first person in more than 3000 years to set foot in the room that contained the ark of Tutankhamun.

On November 4, 1922, Carter was excavating at the entrance to the tunnel leading to the tomb of Ramses VI in the Valley of the Kings, when he noticed a large cellar and continued careful excavation until he was led to the tomb of Tutankhamun.

How was the burial chamber like when Howard Carter entered the cemetery?

On the walls of the room containing the mausoleum were wonderful drawings telling the story of Tutankhamun’s departure to the world of the dead. The scene was very impressive to Carter, who was looking at the room through an opening with a candle in hand, and it was said that his assistant asked him, "Can you see anything?" To which Carter replied, "Yes, I see wonderful things."

What was the first thing that Howard Carter noticed in the tomb of Tutankhamun?

Carter noticed a wooden box with gold inlay in the center of the room. When he raised the box, he noticed that the box was covering a second box decorated with inscriptions inlaid with gold. When the second box was raised, he noticed that the second box was covering a third box inlaid with gold. Upon raising the third box, Carter reached the stone sarcophagus, which was covered with another thick layer of stone carved in the form of a statue of Tutankhamen.

What difficulties did Howard Carter face when the tomb was discovered?

Carter had difficulty lifting the third golden shroud that was covering the mummy of Tutankhamun. He thought that exposing the shroud to the scorching heat of Egypt's summer would be sufficient to separate the golden shroud from the mummy, but his attempts failed and he was forced in the end to cut the golden shroud in half to reach the mummy.

What was the condition of Tutankhamun’s possessions after separating the golden shroud?

After removing the cloth shroud, Carter found the mummy of Tutankhamun in full adornment of necklaces, rings, crowns and sticks, all of pure gold. To remove these artifacts, the excavation team had to separate the skull and the main bones, and after removing the jewelry, the team reconstructed the skeleton of the mummy and placed it in a wooden coffin.