Bonus! King Tut's Chariot Set to Roll Into New York Exhibition

Submitted by Helen Atkinson on Thu, 04/22/2010 - 18:57

King Tut Chariot (One of Six) Dr. Zahi Hawass, the charismatic Secretary General of Eygpt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, and chief bodyguard of Egypt's ancient treasures, likes to make revelations to the media - and he didn't disappoint at Wednesday's press preview of the final leg of 'Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs', set to open at the Discovery Times Square Exposition on April 23th. He announced, with a typical flourish of portentousness, that King Tut's chariot will be arriving in about a month to augment the exhibition, which has already toured 7 cities and attracted 7 million visitors.

"It is a masterpiece that has never travelled," said Hawass, adding it's quite possible Tutankhamun was riding this very chariot when he had the accident that may have killed him. Hawass said he was just finishing up the paperwork to get the chariot over to New York. "It will be the biggest news in town!" he declared.

The Chariot of Tutankhamun is one of six chariots discovered by Howard Carter at the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. Most were elaborate vehicles with golden overlays, designed for use in celebrations or when the king led his forces in battle. This chariot is different. It doesn't look like any of the others, and it has a simpler and lighter construction than the others. Maybe it was King Tut's hunting chariot, or just a fun, nimble knock-around - the 18th dynasty's equivalent of a privileged young man's sports car.

Sandro Vannini - King Tut Hunting Box

A preview of the exhibition, and more on Hawass follows shortly.

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About The Author

Helen Atkinson (follow me: e-mail or

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Last three pieces by this author:

Tutankhamun Curator David Silverman Defends the Controversial King Tut Exhibit | New York Tutankhamun Exhibit Deserves the Met, not Times Square, Says Zahi Hawass | Jobs for Egyptomaniacs - Movie Stars Needed for New York King Tut Exhibit

Heritage Key's NYC Correspondent, Helen Atkinson, has 20 years of journalism experience in subjects ranging from the reinsurance industry to canoeing down the Bronx River. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Helen studied English Literature at Oxford, before embarking on a writing career. She moved to New York in 1994 and intends to stay there.

Comments

Ann:

Yes, of course, you wouldn't want to drive a Porsche into battle! (On the other hand, there was that really cool 'easter egg' in Age of Empires where you got a sports car equiped with a rocket thrower or so, to obliviate the enemy legions. Worked quite well.)

Fri, 23-04-2010 09:21

don langston:

Maybe it was a training chariot. something he used when a young teen.

Sat, 24-04-2010 07:18

Mary Mann:

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Fri, 04-11-2011 09:56

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