Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun (14th century bc), King of Ancient Egypt.

In 1922, a British archaeologist, Howard Carter, found the tomb of an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh in the Valley of Kings near Luxor in Egypt.

Unlike every other tomb discovered till then, this one had not been robbed, and it contained a fabulous treasure. It was the tomb of Tutankhamun.

He was king of Ancient Egypt from 1366-57 bc and died at the age of about fifteen.

The treasure from the tomb can be seen today in Cairo Museum.

In 1972, fifty years after the discovery of the tomb, the treasure was transported to England and put on view in the British Museum in London. Parties of children from schools all over Britain travelled to see it. The exhibition consisted of fifty pieces, including a golden face mask of Tutankhamun found on his embalmed body, a gilded cow's head, an ivory chest, a gold figure of Tutankhamun, and a gilded statuette, a golden sceptre, a gilded miniature coffin and other items of great beauty and value.

After being in London, the exhibition went on a world tour, visiting the USA, USSR, Japan, France, Canada, and West Germany.

Tutankhamun's treasures have since been all over the world and is considered one of the world's most travelled museum pieces.

See Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs: Official Companion Book to the Exhibition sponsored by National Geographic ~ Zahi A. Hawass