Opening of the tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. Howard Carter: biography, photo, contribution to the study of history

The Victorian era was marked by the absence of major wars, the rewriting of economic laws, the reorganization of the banking system and other changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution. In English society, the emerging bourgeoisie - its values, phobias and interests - began to come to the fore. It became common to fear being buried alive, and a fashion arose for placing bells on fresh graves. Pulp literature blossomed wildly, and interest in archival history gave way to mania for archaeological research. Archaeologists were especially interested in the country, a country shrouded in mystery for thousands of years.

Carter: the first step to celebrity

In the late Victorian period in the county of Norfolk, into the large Carter family, little Howard was born (1874), who later became the most famous English archaeologist-Egyptologist, who discovered the famous tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. This find became one of the most important discoveries in Egyptology. Suffice it to mention that tourists, collecting small coins and banknotes as souvenirs, will probably take with them a couple of images of Tutankhamun’s death masks. The portrait of this pharaoh is depicted on the reverse of the one-coin and is present in the form of watermarks on the 25 and 50 piastres banknotes and on the one-pound note.

At 17, Carter joined the British archaeologists and took part in a number of expeditions in the following years. At first, Howard worked under the guidance of William Petrie, the most famous Egyptologist of his time. Under his leadership, the aspiring archaeologist copied many ancient hieroglyphic inscriptions and sketched many thousand-year-old stone sculptures and masterpieces of architecture from the Middle Kingdom period. In the period 1891-99, science was enriched by the study of the Djeser Djeseru complex, carried out by a young scientist.

The discovery and study of the temple, built one and a half thousand years BC for Queen Hatshepsut, brought Howard considerable fame. located in the vicinity of Luxor and stands next to the funeral temples of the pharaohs Thutmose III and Mentuhotep II. As a result, the novice archaeologist established himself as an experienced specialist and was appointed to Last year of the outgoing 19th century, chief inspector of the Egyptian Department of Antiquities. Under the tutelage of the department were the Egyptian halls of the British Museum and, as well as the architectural monuments of Ancient Egypt that had been discovered by that time. The antiquity seeker served as an inspector for six years, after which he left this post as a result of a conflict between his subordinates and drunken tourists from France.

Carter and Davis

From 1902 until the outbreak of World War I, Carter inspected the archaeological excavations of Theodore Davis, an American lawyer, businessman and explorer of the secrets of the land of the pharaohs. Theodore Montgomery sponsored the Antiquities Service and easily obtained government permission to excavate. He was primarily interested in modern Luxor (ancient Thebes).

Davis was quite productive. For twelve years, he spent the winter months on excavations, managing to discover more than thirty burials in a dozen seasons. In 1915, the archaeologist's work was interrupted by death. Interestingly, Theodore Montgomery, in the last year of his life, believed that everything that was most important and interesting in the Valley of the Kings had already been found. It is even more curious that the scientist made such an unambiguous conclusion without reaching a few meters from the famous tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered seven years later by his colleague and follower Howard Carter. After himself, Davis left a number of monographs dedicated to the monuments of Ancient Egypt. Among them: “Tomb of Thutmose” (1904), “Tomb of Hatshepsut” (1906), “Tomb of Uya and Tuya: records of Uya and Tuya, description of objects found in the tomb, and images of objects” (1907). ), “The Tombs of Kharmhabi and Tutankhamun” (1912) and others.

Tutankhamun's tomb

Before the outbreak of World War I, Carter and Davis did a lot of work together, opening a number of tombs of New Kingdom kings, including the tombs of Thutmose IV, Queen Hatshepsut, King Ramses Saptah and King Horemheb. At the same time, they found a sarcophagus with the mummy of (presumably) the “heretic pharaoh” Akhenaten.

In 1906, Howard began collaborating with another ardent fan of Egyptology, Lord Carnarvon. The lord collected ancient artifacts, sponsored excavations and was interested in archeology, without having the appropriate academic title. Together with Carnarvon, Carter continued excavations in the Valley of the Kings and found the tombs of a number of queens of the 18th dynasty and the tomb of Amenhotep I.

But the “pearl” of Carter’s activities became, previously considered almost a mythical figure. Unlike many tombs and temples plundered in ancient times, Tutankhamun’s resting place remained virtually untouched, since the entrance to the mausoleum was filled in many centuries ago by the builders of the tomb of Ramses VI.

The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb on November 26, 1922, became the most important archaeological discovery of the 20th century. It was the first time in three millennia that a human foot had entered the holy of holies of the tomb. Many objects of art and everyday life found in ancient crypts and chambers later decorated the halls of the largest museums in the world, and the tomb itself is included in the list of the most important, along with and. Most of the artifacts can be seen in the Cairo Museum, as well as the most famous of the finds - the eleven-pound gold death mask of the pharaoh, decorated with precious stones.

"Curse of the Pharaohs"

A well-known hoax, called the “curse of the pharaohs,” is also associated with the famous tomb. The legend of a curse that brings death to all who disturbed the peace of the ancient kings arose immediately after the death of Carnarvon. The archaeologist died near the excavation site from pneumonia. It happened in a room at the Continental Hotel in Cairo. In the following years, nosy journalists came up with hundreds of the most fantastic explanations for the archaeologist’s death, and at the same time increased the number of “victims of the curse” to 22 people, including 13 people who were present at the opening of the tomb. However, journalistic “canards” are easily defeated by facts, and Carter, the main discoverer, died a full 17 years later at a fairly advanced age.

Howard Carter was born on May 9 1874

In October 1891

1899

IN 1905

Howard Carter was born on May 9 1874 year in the provincial town of Swaffham in Norfolk, England. His father, Samuel Carter, being an artist, taught his son the basics of drawing with pencil and paints. And although Howard developed above average skills and abilities, he had no desire to continue the family business, painting portraits of the families and pets of local Norfolk landowners.

Instead, Carter looked for an opportunity to go to Egypt and work for the Egyptian Research Foundation as a copy draftsman, that is, copying drawings and inscriptions onto paper for later study.

In October 1891 At the age of 17, Howard Carter sailed to Alexandria, Egypt, his first voyage outside England. His first project was a cemetery Supreme Rulers Middle Egypt at Bani Hassan, dating back to the second millennium BC; Carter's task was to redraw the inscriptions from the walls of the tomb.

At that time, Howard was a hard worker with great enthusiasm: he would work all day and then sleep with bats right in the crypt. Some time later he was promoted to work for Flinders Petrie, an energetic field director and one of the most trustworthy archaeologists of the time. Petrie thought that Carter would never achieve good results in excavations, but the latter proved him wrong when he discovered several important finds at the site of El Amarna (the capital of Egypt during the reign of Akhenaten).

Under Petrie's exacting guidance, Carter became an archaeologist while maintaining his skills as an artist. He made sketches of many unusual objects material culture, found in El Amarna. Carter was appointed chief artist for the Egyptian Exploration Foundation at the excavations of Deir El Babri, the burial site of Queen Hatshepsut. The experience gained allowed him to improve his skills as an artist, develop his technique as a restorer, and also train in excavations.

When Carter was 25 years old, his hard work was rewarded when the director of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, Gaston Maspero, offered him a 1899 year, the position of chief inspector of monuments of Upper Egypt. Carter's responsibilities included supervising and supervising archaeological work in the Nile Valley. Carter worked at the Egyptian Antiquities Service until an unpleasant incident between Egyptian site guards and drunken French tourists. When the tourists began to abuse the guards, Carter allowed the latter to defend themselves. The enraged tourists went to high authorities, including Lord Cromer, the chief British consul in Egypt, demanding that Carter make a formal apology. Carter refused, citing the fact that in his opinion he had accepted correct solution. This incident served as a black mark for Howard Carter and led to his assignment to the Nile Delta city of Tanta, a site of very little archaeological interest.

IN 1905 Howard retired from the Antiquities Service. After that he began to feel very Difficult life. He was forced to earn a living by selling watercolors and sometimes working as a tourist guide. This went on for three years.

IN 1908 Carter was presented to the fifth Lord of Carnarvon by Gaston Maspero. Their cooperation was successful, and the partners were very suitable for each other. Carter became supervisor of excavations sponsored by Carnarvon at Thebes and 1914 Carnarvon had the most valuable private collection of Egyptian antiquities. However, Howard Carter had more ambitious aspirations. He wanted to find the tomb of a completely unknown pharaoh named Tutankhamun at that time. He had already found several different evidence of its existence, rummaged through the entire Valley of the Kings, trying to find a burial place, but season after season he found only a small number of ancient objects.

Carnarvon was not satisfied with the fact that his investments were not returned in 1922 year he gave Carter one last attempt to find the tomb of the pharaoh. Carter was confident in the result, and work began on November 1 1922 of the year. In just three days, a layer of soil was removed from the top landing of the stairs. After about three weeks, the staircase excavation was completed and the plaster block used to construct the buildings was fully visible. By November 26, the first block had been removed, the stone fragments filling the corridor had been removed, and the second plastered block was almost dismantled into pieces.

At 16:00 on the same day, Carter broke through the second block and made one of greatest discoveries 20th century, opening the tomb of Tutankhamun. It took more than a dozen catalogs to describe all the finds. At this time, Lord Carnarvon died in Cairo from pneumonia. After that in the means mass media Rumors spread about the connection between this death and the treasure, and the hypothesis of the mummy's curse excited the media.

Much to Carter's displeasure, spiritualist letters poured in from all over the world, selling advice and issuing warnings "from beyond the grave." In the end, all the antiquities were sent to the Cairo Museum and the mummy of the young ruler, after being studied, was again laid to rest. Having completed his work with Tutankhamun, Carter no longer worked in this field, retiring from archaeology. He was very successful when he decided to collect Egyptian antiquities.

Often, until the very end of his life, he was seen at the Winter Palace Hotel in Luxor, sitting (according to him at will) all alone. He returned to England and 1939 died at the age of 65.

Howard Carter. Tutankhamun's tomb

PREFACE

It is hardly possible to find a country as rich in monuments of ancient times as Egypt.

In the narrow valley of the Nile and on the mountains and hills bordering it, numerous majestic temples and tombs, works of monumental sculpture are concentrated, and the bowels of the earth hide all kinds of art products Egyptian masters and thousands of inscriptions.

The achievements of Egyptian thinkers and artists were recognized by other peoples in ancient times. The famous Phoenician sailors, who visited many countries, believed that Egypt was the birthplace of sciences and arts.

Ancient Persian kings were treated by Egyptian doctors and commissioned Egyptian craftsmen to decorate their palaces. The ancient Greeks saw the Egyptians as their teachers. Already in the Iliad, the capital of Egypt is mentioned - the “hundred-gate” Thebes, full of treasures.

Later, many Greeks and Romans, including outstanding commanders and poets, philosophers and historians, often went to the banks of the Nile and admired the sights of the country: pyramids and temples, obelisks and colossi. Returning to their homeland, they introduced their compatriots to the land of wonders - Egypt. In Herodotus, Diodorus and Pliny the Elder we find detailed descriptions masterpieces of ancient Egyptian art.

Interest in Egypt and the treasures of its culture persisted in the Middle Ages and especially intensified in the 19th-20th centuries, after ancient Egyptian writings that seemed forever forgotten were read again. Scientists different countries, competing with each other, successfully studied and continue to study the heritage of one of the most ancient civilizations.

Acquaintance with the antiquities of Egypt was of great importance for our homeland, which for centuries has been associated with the peoples of the East. Many Russian travelers visited the country of the pyramids, collected, sketched and copied monuments of its art and writing, and in their vivid and fascinating descriptions revealed the significance of the great achievements of the Egyptian people.

Back in the 18th century. Russian researcher V. G. Grigorovich-Barsky examined and with great accuracy copied a number of inscriptions of ancient Egypt and sketched some temples and obelisks.

Many interesting monuments of Egyptian antiquity were collected and studied by his successors - travelers A. S. Norov and I. P. Butenev and especially the outstanding Egyptologist of our country V. S. Golenishchev (1856 - 1947), founder of the Department of Egyptology at Cairo University.

Our interest in Egypt increased significantly after the Great October Revolution.

The Soviet reader will certainly read with great interest the book of the English archaeologist G. Carter, to whom belongs the honor of the discovery and preliminary examination of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

His book appears for the first time in a complete (except for some minor abbreviations) Russian translation. It describes in detail and fascinatingly the progress of archaeological work, the methods and techniques of excavations, methods of preserving and transporting the diverse contents of the tomb, including the royal mummy. The book provides a comprehensive overview and artistic analysis of the most interesting examples of ancient Egyptian art and craft buried with the pharaoh, and the results of an anatomical examination of the mummy, interesting for the anthropologist and historian.

G. Carter's book is written in a lively, vivid language and is equipped with illustrations that give a concrete idea of ​​both the technique of archaeological work and the antiquities themselves. Historians, archaeologists and art historians will be able to draw irreplaceable educational material from this work. Of course, not all of the author’s conclusions will satisfy our readers and be acceptable to them. Excessive pathos and not without a certain mystical touch, discussions about emotional connections between people of the distant past and the present will seem naive. Our readers will encounter an even greater objection to the desire to idealize the ancient Eastern despots and their entourage. G. Carter does not mention a single word about those unknown and talented workers who, under the most difficult conditions, created the masterpieces of art found in the tomb, which perfectly characterize the brilliant achievements of ancient Egyptian craftsmen and artists. The Soviet reader will also be struck by the close connection between science and business inherent in capitalist society and the dependence of a talented scientific researcher on private charity, which is described in the book as a very natural phenomenon.

However, all these negative points cannot reduce the enormous scientific value of the specific information contained in the book.

Warm sympathy for the freedom-loving Egyptian people, who overthrew the rule of the imperialists and are building independent life, obliges us to study with exceptional attention the culture of the ancestors of this people, who created a great civilization many centuries ago.

Academician V. V. STUVE

TUTANKHAMUN AND HIS TIME

Not even particularly to the attentive reader, looking through the next issue of the Times newspaper on November 30, 1922, promising headlines should have caught the eye: “Egyptian Treasure,” “Important Discovery at Thebes,” “Lord Carnarvon’s Long Search.” Below them was a brief but at the same time quite detailed message from “our correspondent from Cairo” on November 29 that “this afternoon Lord Carnarvon and Mr. G. Carter showed to a large number of people what promises to be the most sensational discovery of the century in the field of Egyptology. The find consists, among other items, of the funeral belongings of the Egyptian king Tutankhamun - one of the heretical kings of the 18th dynasty, who restored the cult of Amun. Not much is known about the later kings, including Tutankhamun, and the present discovery adds immeasurably to knowledge about this period...” Next, the correspondent conveyed a concise description of the “amazing find,” based on first, not yet entirely accurate, impressions.

The Times report, picked up by the world press, really caused a real sensation, although newspapers usually do not indulge archaeologists too much with their attention. New urgent correspondence appeared from issue to issue, and for many years this topic did not leave the pages of newspapers and magazines.

Crowds of reporters, photographers and radio commentators flocked to the small and usually quiet Egyptian town of Luxor. From the Valley of the Kings, where the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh was located, as if from a battlefield or an important international conference, reports, notes, essays, reports, reports, articles were rushing hourly by telephone, telegraph and radio. In a word, the young Egyptian pharaoh, who died at the age of about eighteen, whose existence until now only a very few specialist scientists knew about, and to whom even in the most detailed studies on the history of Egypt was given more than a modest place, suddenly acquired world fame. His name was mentioned along with the names of Cheops, Thutmose III and Ramesses II - great rulers and conquerors. How can we explain this sudden popularity? Why did the discovery of the English scientist attract such attention and enter science as one of the most significant archaeological discoveries?

The 5th Earl of Carnarvon, George Herbert, hired Egyptologist and archaeologist Howard Carter in 1907 for observations and excavations in the Valley of the Kings, and 15 years later the long-awaited moment came - the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Photos from those years will tell us how all this happened.

Searches in the valley, which lasted for many years, yielded very modest results, which over time brought the wrath of Carter's employer upon him. In 1922, Lord Carnarvon told him that he would stop funding the work from the following year.

1923 Lord Carnarvon, who financed the excavations, reads on the veranda of Carter's house near the Valley of the Kings.

Carter, desperate for a breakthrough, decided to return to the previously abandoned excavation site. On November 4, 1922, his team discovered a step carved into the rock. By the end of the next day, the entire staircase had been cleared. Carter immediately sent a message to Carnarvon, begging him to come as quickly as possible.

On November 26, Carter, along with Carnarvon, opened a small hole in the corner of the door at the end of the stairs. Holding the candle, he looked inside.

“At first I saw nothing, hot air rushed out of the room, causing the candle flame to flicker, but soon, as my eyes adjusted to the light, details of the room slowly appeared from the fog, strange animals, statues and gold - the glitter of gold everywhere.”
Howard Carter

A team of archaeologists has discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, the youth king who ruled Egypt from 1332 to about 1323 BC.

November 1925. Death mask Tutankhamun.

Despite signs that the tomb had been visited twice by ancient robbers, the contents of the room remained virtually untouched. The tomb was stuffed with thousands of priceless artifacts, including a sarcophagus containing the mummified remains of Tutankhamun.

January 4, 1924. Howard Carter, Arthur Callender and an Egyptian worker open the doors to get their first look at Tutankhamun's sarcophagus.

Each object in the tomb was carefully described and cataloged before removal. This process took almost eight years.

December 1922. A ceremonial bed in the shape of a Celestial Cow, surrounded by supplies and other objects in the front room of the tomb.

December 1922. Gilded lion bed and other objects in the hallway. The wall of the burial chamber is guarded by black Ka statues.

1923 A set of shuttles in the tomb treasury.

December 1922. A gilded lion bed and an inlaid breastplate are among other objects in the front room.

December 1922. Under the lion bed in the front room there are several boxes and chests, as well as an ebony chair and Ivory, which Tutankhamun used as a child.

1923 A gilded bust of the Heavenly Cow Mehurt and chests were in the treasury of the tomb.

1923 Chests inside the treasury.

December 1922. Decorative alabaster vases in the front room.

January 1924. In the "laboratory" created in the tomb of Seti II, restorers Arthur Mace and Alfred Lucas clean one of the Ka statues from the front room.

November 29, 1923. Howard Carter, Arthur Callender and an Egyptian worker wrap one of the Ka statues for transport.

December 1923. Arthur Mace and Alfred Lucas work on the golden chariot from Tutankhamun's tomb outside the "laboratory" in the tomb of Seti II.

1923 Anubis statue on a funeral bier.

December 2, 1923. Carter, Callender and two workers remove the partition between the front room and the burial chamber.

December 1923. Inside the outer ark in the burial chamber, a huge linen cloth with golden rosettes reminiscent of the night sky envelops the smaller ark.

December 30, 1923. Carter, Mace, and an Egyptian worker carefully roll up the linen.

December 1923. Carter, Callender and two Egyptian workers carefully dismantle one of the golden arks in the burial chamber.

October 1925. Carter examines the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun.

October 1925. Carter and a worker examine a sarcophagus made of pure gold.

As Carter himself noted, “of the entire life of Tutankhamun, we know for certain only one fact, namely: he died and was buried.” Despite this, the discovery of the untouched tomb became a worldwide sensation. How do Carter himself remember the excavations?

Ever since my first visit to Egypt in 1890, I dreamed of excavating the Valley of the Kings. And when, in 1907, at the invitation of Sir William Garstin and Sir Gaston Maspero, I began excavations for Lord Carnarvon, we were all inspired by one hope that sooner or later we would be able to get a concession for such excavations.

Sealed door! So it's true! We were finally rewarded for all our years of patient work. As far as I remember, my first instinct was to thank fate that my work in the Valley had not remained fruitless. With feverishly growing excitement, I began to examine the seal impressions on the walled door in order to establish who was buried in this tomb. But I didn't find the name of its owner. The only legible prints were the well-known seal prints of the royal necropolis: a jackal and nine prisoners.

Nevertheless, two things became absolutely clear to me: firstly, that the tomb was built for a person of very high position - this was evidenced by the royal seals; secondly, that at least since the time of the 20th dynasty no one had entered the discovered tomb, a fact which was sufficiently confirmed by the fact that the sealed door was entirely hidden by the workmen's huts of the same dynasty. To begin with, this was enough for me.

On the afternoon of November 24, the staircase was completely cleared - all sixteen steps. Now we could carefully examine the entire door that closed the passage deeper. On its lower part, the seal impressions turned out to be much clearer, and among them we easily deciphered the name repeated many times - .

Seal on the door of the tomb. (pinterest)

After we removed a few more stones, the mystery of the golden wall was revealed. In front of us was the entrance to the tomb of the pharaoh, and what blocked the way turned out to be one side of a giant gilded ark, built to protect and preserve the sarcophagus. Now it could be seen from the front room by the light of the lamps. As we took out stone by stone, the gilded surface of this outer ark gradually appeared before our eyes, as if electricity a shiver of excitement ran through the spectators behind the barrier. We, that is, those who were busy with the task, obviously worried less, because all our energy was spent on coping with the task before us - dismantling the walled up wall without any unpleasant incidents. The fall of one stone could cause irreparable damage to the fragile surface of the ark. Therefore, when the hole was sufficiently widened, we immediately took additional precautions: we pushed mattresses behind the wall and hung them from the inside to a wooden beam.

One of the fans we found lay in the heads, and the other was at the southern wall of the fourth sarcophagus. The first was trimmed with gold leaf and decorated with a charming image of the young King Tutankhamun in a chariot. Accompanied by his beloved dog, he hunts ostriches in the “eastern desert of Heliopolis,” as the inscription on the handle says, to obtain feathers for fans. On the other side of the fan, also finely decorated with reliefs, the triumphant return from hunting of the young “Mr. Valor” is represented. His prey consists of two ostriches, which are carried on the shoulders of two servants walking in front, and the king himself holds the feathers under his arm.

None of us missed the feeling of the solemnity of what was happening. In what condition will we find the mummy? Everyone thought about this, although there was silence in the tomb.

The blocks for lifting the slab were already prepared. I gave the order. In tense silence, a huge slab, broken in two, weighing more than a ton and a quarter, rose from its bed. The light fell on the sarcophagus. What we saw somewhat confused and disappointed us. Nothing could be discerned except thin linen coverings.

The slab hung in the air. One by one we removed the covers, and when the last of them was removed, a cry of surprise escaped our lips. A magnificent sight appeared before our eyes: a golden image of the young king, made with exceptional skill, filled the entire interior of the sarcophagus. It was the lid of a wonderful anthropoid coffin, about 2.25 meters long, resting on a low bier decorated with images of lions' heads. Undoubtedly, it was an outer coffin, containing several more and containing the mortal remains of the king. The winged goddesses Isis and Neith embraced the coffin in their arms. Their sparkling golden images on the plaster lining of the coffin seem to have just come from the hands of a master. They were made in low relief technique, while the head and arms of the king were extremely fine and graceful pieces of solid gold sculpture in the round, beyond anything imaginable. This greatly enhanced the impression. The arms crossed on the chest clutched the royal emblems - a hook-shaped scepter and a whip, inlaid with a thick layer of blue faience. Using gold sheets as a material, the artist perfectly conveyed the face with all its characteristic features. The eyes are made of aragonite and obsidian, the eyebrows and eyelids are made of artificial lapis lazuli.

The entrance to the tomb has been partially dismantled. (pinterest)

A kind of realism was reflected in the fact that most of the anthropoid coffin, covered with a pattern in the form of feathers, was made of shiny gold, and the bare hands, as well as the face, seemed different. To reproduce the color of the human body, a special alloy was used. In this way, the impression of pallor inherent in the dead was achieved. The forehead of the young king was decorated with two emblems - a kite and a cobra - symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt. Both are covered with elegant sparkling inlay. But perhaps most touching in its simplicity and humanity was the tiny wreath of flowers framing these emblems. We would like to think that this is the last farewell offering of the widowed young queen, the young mistress of both kingdoms, to her husband. Among all the royal splendor, sovereign grandeur and glitter of gold, there was nothing more beautiful than these few faded flowers, still retaining faint traces of their former colors. They testify to how short thirty-three centuries really are - they are just yesterday and tomorrow. In fact, this insignificant and such a natural touch makes ancient civilization with modern.

So, we finally saw the remains of the young pharaoh, who until now was just a ghostly name for us. Taking up all inner part golden coffin, in front of us lay an impressive, neatly and carefully swaddled mummy, which, like the coffin itself, was doused with incense. They were again used in large quantities, and over time they thickened and turned black.

A sparkling and, one might say, majestic mask flaming with gold stood out in sharp contrast against the dark and gloomy surface of the incense. This mask, or portrait of the pharaoh, covered his head and shoulders. When they poured incense, they tried not to get it on the mask or on their feet.

Even after carefully removing most of the burial shrouds, we had to knock the hardened incense off the body with a chisel before we could lift the king's remains.

Treasures are taken out by railway. (Pinterest)

The bandages that wrapped around the head were better preserved than those that wrapped the rest of the body, since they were not saturated with incense and suffered only indirectly from oxidation. The same pretty much applies to leg bandages.

As far as we could determine, the mummy was wrapped in shrouds in the usual way, using numerous bandages, bandages and linen pads. The latter were used to give the mummy the shape of a human body. All together indicates great forethought. For swaddling, the thinnest cloth such as cambric was selected.

Numerous objects found on the mummy were hidden between the various layers of these vast shrouds, with which it was repeatedly wrapped, and literally covered the king from head to toe. Some items bigger size were tucked under various bandages, which in large quantities covered the mummy crosswise or across.