Theodore M. Davis excavated in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt between 1902 and 1914. Tombs Davis excavated or cleared are amongst others KV46 (tomb of Yuya and Tjuyu), KV55 (the Amarna cache), KV57 (tomb of Horemheb) and KV54 (Tutankhamun embalming cache). When he gave up his concession to dig in the Valley of the Kings, in his opinion the valley had been exhausted, it was passed on to Lord Carnarvon.
The small cache embalming and funeral equipment Theodore Davis unearthed in 1908 was later identified by Herbert Winlock as refuse from King Tut's mummification and funeral. Winlock's analysis was an important clue that led to Howard Carter's 1922 discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb some 110 meters away from where the storage jars were unearthed.
The exhibition 'Tutankhamun's Funeral' will feature jars, lids, bowls, floral collars, linen sheets, and bandages that were used at King Tut's mummification and the rites associated with his burial and related objects. These include a sculpted head of the youthful Tutankhamun and several facsimile paintings depicting funerary rituals. Archival photographs from the early 20th century by Harry Burton, the Museum's expedition photographer, will provide an evocative background.
In 1908, more than a decade before the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, American retired lawyer and archaeologist Theodore Davis made a remarkable discovery. While excavating in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, he unearthed about a dozen large storage jars. Their contents included broken pottery, bags of natron, bags of sawdust, floral collars, and pieces of linen with markings from years 6 and 8 during the reign of a then little-known pharaoh named Tutankhamun. The significance of the find was not immediately understood, and the objects entered the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art as a mystery. It was only several years later, after further excavations and study, that the Museum’s Herbert E. Winlock was able to identify them: the small cache contained the remains from the embalming and funeral of King Tut. These objects now get their own exhibition - Tutankhamun's Funeral - which runs at New York's Met until November 6th.
At Amarna you can experience a slice of daily life in the 18th Dynasty period, Egypt during the reign of King Tut's father Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. Dress up like an - ancient - Egyptian, tease the hippos, or just relax on the shores of the Nile and enjoy the view.
Test your knowledge with King Tut themed Quizzes and take an audio-enhanced balloon tour over the Virtual Valley of the Kings, ending up at the excavation of King Tut's tomb in the early 1920s.
Submitted by veigapaula on Wed, 03/17/2010 - 17:23
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to take part in the scanning of a female mummy from ancient Egypt, and to take photos to document the experience. This young girl was only around 25 at the age of death, and survived in relative peace for thousands of years. In the last century, however, she's been used as a bargaining tool by the Germans, survived attacks by torpedos and fires, and even suffered physical traumas.
In 1908, more than a decade before the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, American retired lawyer and archaeologist Theodore Davis made a remarkable discovery. While excavating in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, he unearthed about a dozen large storage jars. Their contents included broken pottery, bags of natron, bags of sawdust, floral collars, and pieces of linen with markings from years 6 and 8 during the reign of a then little-known pharaoh named Tutankhamun. The significance of the find was not immediately understood, and the objects entered the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art as a mystery. It was only several years later, after further excavations and study, that the Museum’s Herbert E. Winlock was able to identify them: the small cache contained the remains from the embalming and funeral of King Tut. These objects now get their own exhibition - Tutankhamun's Funeral - which runs at New York's Met until November 6th.
