On 4 November 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter made one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in history- the Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings.
After years of searching funded by Lord Carnarvon, Carter’s team unearthed a staircase buried in the sand that led to a sealed doorway marked with royal cartouches. Behind it lay the untouched tomb of the boy king, who ruled more than 3,000 years ago during Egypt’s 18th Dynasty. The discovery of a Tutankhamun’s largely intact tomb is considered one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in the modern era, as many tombs of the Pharaohs were plundered by grave robbers over the millennia.
When Carter finally peered through the inner doorway, he famously declared that he saw “wonderful things.” Inside was an astonishing collection of more than 5,000 artefacts: golden statues, chariots, jewellery, and the pharaoh’s ornate golden coffin. Tutankhamun himself was so heavily adorned with gold jewellery that excavators reportedly broke several of his fingers in their excitement to examine the treasures.
The discovery captivated the world and transformed Egyptology overnight. Yet it also gave rise to the enduring legend of the “pharaoh’s curse.” Within months, several people linked to the tomb- including Lord Carnarvon, who financed the expedition- died under mysterious or sudden circumstances, fuelling rumours that those who disturbed the pharaoh’s rest were doomed.
Despite the superstition, Carter himself lived another 17 years, meticulously cataloguing the contents of the tomb that reshaped our understanding of ancient Egyptian civilisation. A century later, Tutankhamun’s glittering legacy continues to fascinate, reminding us how a single step uncovered history’s most haunting treasure.
Also read: ON THIS DAY: Alexander the Great dies at 32 (323 BC)
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