The discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter remains one of the most significant archaeological finds in history. Among the countless treasures unearthed from the tomb, the golden chapels surrounding the young pharaoh’s burial chamber stood out for their opulence and intricacy. However, beneath these golden chapels lay an even greater mystery—Tutankhamun’s stone sarcophagus. Made of fine limestone, this sarcophagus was adorned with intricate carvings and hieroglyphs, depicting the king’s journey to the afterlife and his divine status. The stone sarcophagus, though less flashy than the golden artifacts around it, revealed much about the ancient Egyptian burial practices and the importance placed on the preservation of the king’s body for eternity.
When Howard Carter first opened the sarcophagus, it revealed a sequence of nested coffins, each more elaborate than the last. The final, most famous coffin was made of solid gold, but the stone sarcophagus itself was an essential part of the embalming process, ensuring that Tutankhamun’s remains were kept safe for the afterlife. The fact that it had been sealed for over 3,000 years added to the mystery surrounding the tomb, and the contents inside provided unprecedented insight into the ancient Egyptian royal burial customs. The carvings and inscriptions on the sarcophagus told the story of a young king, whose reign, although short, was immortalized through the lavishness of his tomb.
Despite the attention given to the gold and jewels surrounding Tutankhamun’s tomb, the stone sarcophagus remains a cornerstone of the discovery. It underscores the significance of the tomb’s construction and the care with which the ancient Egyptians preserved their pharaohs. While the tomb’s treasures have captured the imagination of the world, the sarcophagus serves as a powerful reminder of the deeply spiritual and ritualistic nature of ancient Egyptian culture, as well as the lasting legacy of King Tutankhamun
Unmasking Howard Carter—the man who found Tutankhamun
The moment Howard Carter was ᴀssured everlasting fame can be pinpointed to five syllables, uttered breathlessly in a H๏τ, dusty tunnel outside Luxor at around 2 p.m. on November 26, 1922. The British Egyptologist had just made a small hole with an iron spike through the top left corner of a wall of ancient mortar. His hands shook; The wall was actually a door, bearing the funerary seal of the pharaoh Tutankhamun.
Carter waited for the foetid flow of warm air to disperse from the hole before inserting a candle and peering in after it. It was the first light to fall on the room that lay beyond for over 3,200 years—and Carter’s the first gaze. He remained silent as he watched the candle dance over glimmers of gold in the dark. Then came a question from his companion, George Herbert: “Can you see anything?”
“Yes,” Carter replied. “Wonderful things.”
Both the scene and the soundbite are the stuff of historical gold, in every sense. But for many, the discovery of KV62—otherwise known as the resplendently intact tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun—is also where the story of Egyptology’s most famous excavator begins, and ends. A century after the find that would change history, the story of Howard Carter himself remains peculiarly obscure, a slight picture of a gifted but polarising individual.
