Tag: Treasures

King Tut’s Treasures: Perfumes, Alabaster Vessels and Wine for the Afterlife

In this Heritage Key video, Dr. Janice Kamrin, head of the EgyptianMuseum Database Project, shows and discusses some of the lifestyle objects found in Tutankhamuns tomb by Carter in 1922, and now housed in The Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Board games, and containers for perfumes, cosmetics and unguents, are amongst the objects shown in this video that give an insight into the livestyles of the rich and famous ancient Egyptians. You can catch up on the previous videos in this series when Dr Kamrin looks at Animal iconography (Watch the video), The Canopic Shrine, Chest and Jars (Watch the video) and last week’s video on the Ritual Figures inside the tomb of King Tut (Watch the video).

A Senet game box with game pieces is one of the most intricate and impressive pieces described by Dr Kamrin. King Tut was evidently a big fan of senet, as evidenced by the number of board games found in his tomb. Senet is known to have associations with the gods and goddesses. Dr. Kamrin refers a passage from The Book of The Dead where you would have to play against an invisible opponent and you have to win in order to progress into your own afterlife, although the exact rules of the game are unknown.

A calcite cosmetic jar is the form of Bes is one of Dr Kamrin's favourite artefacts. Image Copyright - Sandro Vannini. Kamrin also shows us some of the unguent and perfume containers (check out the alabaster perfume vase in detail in King Tut Virtual) that would have been used by King Tut. The ibex-shaped unguent container is a remarkable artefact, with one horn fashioned from real ibex horn, although the second horn is missing. Using real ibex horn would ensure that the content was effective in medicine or magic, or both, as it was usual in ancient Egypt.

A calcite cosmetic jar in the form of the god Bes is also on display. The container was perhaps intended for a new mother, as Bes was the protector of women in childbirth, and women and children in general. With his frightening lion face and his tongue hung out, he was meant to scare any demons approaching.

Kamrin then shows us King Tut’s stash of wine jars. The wine jars have their year written as a label on the outside, just as we do it today. The king had estates all over Egypt and one of the jars, says Dr. Kamrin, is from the western delta region vineyards. Wine was a sophisticated industry in Egypt, with a proper grading system in place. But there were no beer jars in his tomb; did Tut dislike beer? It could just be that beer was not considered royal enough for this king. Beer was a common drink of the ordinary people of Egypt and so considered an inferior choice. Perhaps this is the reason that only wine is present in the king’s tomb.

The collection only represents some of the found jars, as Tut had many in his tomb. He was well stocked up for the afterlife with a lot of food and drink (he evidently liked his feasts!), the ordinary supplies for the afterlife. But wine for eternity? No problem. The wine jars could be magically refilled in the afterlife.

With perfume, cosmetics, entertainment and plenty of food and drink available, the objects shown here help build up a picture of a rich and comfortable lifestyle for the ancient Egyptians – and a particular insight into the personality of King Tut. You can read more about the discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun in a book authored by the Countess of Carnarvon “Egypt at Highclere: The Discovery of Tutankhamun” (Buy) as well as finding out more about the men who made the amazing find in “Carter & Carnarvon” (Buy)

HD Video: Tutankhamun’s Burial Treasures: Lifestyle Objects

(Read the transcript on the video page)

Enjoyed the video? Then youll love looking through Heritage Keys videos page. Youll find fantastic interviews with top heritage experts, such as Dr Zahi Hawass on the discovery of an intact tomb in Saqqara, theCountess of Carnarvon discussing the tomb paintings of King Tutankhamun’s tomb (KV62) and Kathleen Martinez’s search for the elusive Tomb of Cleopatra. New videos are posted every week sign up to our RSS feed and you wont miss a thing.

Treasures from KV62 – King Tut’s Funerary Figures

The first two instalments of Nico Piazza and Sandro Vanninis four-part video series Tuts Treasures saw Dr Janice Kamrin introduce us to the boy kings canopic vessels (Watch the video) and the various fearsome representations of animal gods that guarded his embalmed body (Watch the video). Part three focuses on the many ritual figures found inside black resined wooden shrines in the treasury of Tutankhamuns lavish tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

34 ritual figures were located in total inside KV62, which was first opened and investigated by Howard Carter in 1922. Their function? Protection basically, and ritual use and all those things that we dont completely understand, Kamrin explains to interviewer Sharif Soaier, whom shes seen guiding around the many King Tut exhibits at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. They all have to do with religion, and especially funerary religion.

The Guarantor of Order

The first two statuettes that Kamrin picks out (both of which came in pairs) reveal King Tut to be an action man, not frightened to roll up his sleeves, grab his spear and go in search of some big game (as Dr Zahi Hawass revealed in another Heritage Key video interview, falling from his chariot while hunting may even have been what killed the young pharaoh). In this one the king is riding on a panther, explains Kamrin, pointing at the two beautifully detailed gold figures mounted on wooden pedestals, and in this one, hes harpooning an invisible hippopotamus in a papyrus skiff.

One of the ritual figures found in King Tut's tomb (KV62) showed him harpooning an invisible hippo. Image Copyright - Sandro Vannini. These representations of Tutankhamun are loaded with meaning. For the ancient Egyptians, many animals were associated with gods of different omens good and bad. Basically hes showing himself as the guarantor of order, says Kamrin, the proper order of the Egyptian universe. And how he does that is that he defeats the forces of evil. The hippopotamus is the representation of the forces of chaos or evil.

Dude Looks Like a Lady

Another very interesting thing about these statues and a lot of the other pieces in the tomb is that they were not originally made for Tutankhamun, Kamrin notes. Whoever was responsible for stocking the boy kings tomb with ritual figures and other spectacular valuables after his death evidently wasnt too precious about what they were or where they came from. Hes using pieces from maybe a couple of other kings funerary assemblages, she adds.

Tut had rather effeminate features, as modern reconstructions of his face have shown. A few of the ritual figures have a highly androgynous quality; others, some experts speculate, may simply be representations of women that look like Tut. Its very hard to tell males and females apart in certain ways, says Kamrin (evidently shes too polite to just take a look up the statuettes skirts). There are some things the shape of the belly button and other details. But, in the faces, you can see that not all of them are Tutankhamuns face.

A King Among Kings?

The question of why Tut was entitled to not only a wealth of his own unique funerary treasures, but also the pick of other kings and dignitaries afterlife stashes is a question that has troubled many an Egyptologist, Kamrin included. It makes you wonder was there something special going on? she ponders. Was Tutankhamun especially honoured?

One scholar, Ray Johnson, has speculated that Tut for some reason possibly his restoration of the cult of Amun, whose symbols were defaced and whose priests were stripped of power during the reign of his father Akhenaten may have been uniquely venerated by Egyptian society in an unseen way. Its very interesting, comments Kamrin, [Johnson] has a lot of way off the chart ideas. Thats one of them that maybe they loved him so much because he brought back the worship of Amun.

The generally accepted perception of King Tut is that he was a relatively unimportant royal, and that his tomb merely seems so lavish because its the only one to date discovered almost fully intact (the reasons KV62 escaped plundering are discussed by Hawass in another video). Perhaps this is wrong, and Carter in fact got doubly fluky by locating not just the only royal tomb to date in the Valley of the Kings that has evaded robbers, but also the finest royal tomb of them all? Only the discovery of un-plundered burial chambers of royals whom we know to have been of especially high-standing such as Amenhotep I or Cleopatra (Dr Kathleen Martinez believes shes close in this video) will provide the necessary grounds for comparison.

Keep a look out for the final installment of King Tut’s Treasures, which is coming soon!

HD Video: King Tut’s Treasures: The Ritual Figures

(Read the transcript on the video page)

If you liked this video, then youll love exploring Heritage Keys videos page. Youll find fantastic interviews with top heritage experts, such as Dr Zahi Hawass picking out his favourite treasures from the tomb of King Tut, the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon discussing the relationship between their ancestor Lord Carnarvon and the great explorer Howard Carter and Abuna Maximos describing the restoration of the Coptic Monastery of Saint Anthony. New videos are posted every week sign up to our RSS feed and you wont miss a thing.

Treasures of King Tut – Tutankhamun’s Jewellery and the Love of a Queen

When Howard Carter said he spied wondrous things upon cracking open the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, he wasnt joking. KV62 was filled with probably the most fantastic collection of ancient treasures ever discovered in one place all from beautiful golden coffins, to giant statues, canopic shrines and a golden throne. Tuts own body was literally stuffed with precious jewellery.

In the third instalment of our four-part video series King Tut Revealed filmed by Nico Piazza, and featuring still photography by Sandro Vannini Dr Zahi Hawass, who you can watch in this video revealing the cause of Tuts death and sharing his thoughts on the curse of Tutankhamun(Watch this video by clicking here), tells us about his personal favourites among the many treasures of King Tuts tomb, a large number of which are currently on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

The Golden Death Mask and the Coffins

I believe it is something that will never be repeated, says Hawass of his first selection, the golden death mask probably the most famous and iconic of all the artefacts found in Tutankhamuns tomb. No artist in the world will be ever be able to repeat it, he says, as were shown some of Sandro Vanninis wonderfully vivid shots of the radiant, enchanting 11kg likeness of the boy king, which was found laid over his face. It is a masterpiece of art, in my opinion, Hawass adds.

Tuts body was discovered lying inside a large nest of coffins. Seven coffins total were found in the tomb (all except one have been removed) its these that Hawass next selects among his favourite treasures. Each coffin can give you amazing and beautiful art, he says, before pointing out how the engravings upon them dont all necessarily portray Tutankhamun as he really looked some of them show Tut as he perhaps wished he looked (he wasn’t the prettiest of chaps, it must be said). Some of what you discover in the tomb is the idealistic life of what he wanted to be, Hawass explains, it is not really realistic art.

The Golden Throne

The most amazing thing they showed in that statue is the love between the king and the queen.

When Hawass himself visits the Cairo Museum, whats the first artefact he goes to look at? I go to the golden throne, he reveals, another masterpiece. Why? Because, beneath that gruff exterior, Dr Zahis a big old romantic at heart. The most amazing thing they showed in that statue, he explains, a small tear possibly forming in the corner of his eye, is the love between the king and the queen.

The eagle-eyed viewer will observe that, in the detailed raised image set on the back-panel of the golden throne, showing the boy king and his bride Queen Ankhesenamun relaxing in a garden pavilion, both figures are only wearing one sandal. So they both got dressed in a rush that morning, right? Wrong: Theyre wearing one sandal only to show that they are sharing everything, explains Hawass. The love was between them, and this is why when King Tut died, Queen Ankhesenamun was so upset. She put a flower it was discovered on his mummy. Sniff pass the Kleenex!

This winged scarab necklace is one of Dr Hawass' favourite King Tut artefacts. Image Copyright - Sandro Vannini.

The Jewellery

The jewellery is amazing, says Hawass, of his final selection among the treasure of King Tuts tomb. Over 104 individual pieces of jewellery including beads, bracelets, rings, amulets and necklaces were found crammed inside the mummy of Tut, as well as strewn around his treasury. They were made from combinations of the most valuable materials the kingdom of Egypt had to offer. The opulence of this pharaohs burial is not to be underestimated.

Hawasss favourite piece is a necklace with a winged scarab (some parts of which, it’s been speculated, come from glass created by a meteor), made from gold, silver, glass and semi-precious stones. Holding the Horus eye and this is a symbol of Osiris are the two cobras, he describes, protecting the king in between. And down, look at the lotus flower. This is in my opinion, a masterpiece. Such tiny, meticulous details in a jewellery item reveal a much larger picture about what inspired artists in ancient Egypt. Art in ancient Egypt was for the sake of religion, according to Dr Hawass.

Coming soon: the final instalment of King Tut Revealed, in which Hawass talks about why King Tuts tomb avoided robbery as others were plundered.

HD Video: King Tut Revealed (Part 3/4) The Treasure

(Click here for the transcript of this video)

Be it insights into the search for the tomb of Cleopatra, sneak peeks at the treasures of King Tuts tomb or new revelations on the riddle of KV63, were videos crazy here at Heritage Key. Sign-up to our RSS feed and get new clips delivered straight to your inbox as soon as they go online. Alternatively, keep an eye on our videos page, where you can take a look at all of our videos to date.

ArchaeoVideo: Dr Alain Zivie Reveals the Treasures of the Tomb of Aper-el

French archaeologist Dr Alain Zivie, Director of Research at the French National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS), has devoted many years to investigating the 18th dynasty rock-cut tomb of Aper-el an Egyptian New Kingdom high priest and vizier from the Amarna Period, who served both Amenhotep III and the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten. Zivie discovered it at Saqqara in 1987. In an exclusive video interview, shot by Nico Piazza, he shows Heritage Key some of the abundant treasures hes found there.

As Zivie explains, since the tomb which dates from the latter part of the 18th Dynasty, around 1353-1335 BC is so hard to access, it hasnt been plundered in the modern period, only in ancient times, when the grave robbers werent looking for antiquities. Therefore, many fine pieces have been left undisturbed for centuries, and Zivie and his CNRS team have enjoyed archaeologically rich pickings.

We are not looking for treasure. Personally Im looking for history, for facts, for better understanding of this civilization, this culture and this period.

Among the beautiful artefacts he introduces us to from their display case at the Imhotep Museum at Saqqara are two royal cubits (one of which bears an engraving describing Aper-el as “the two eyes of the king”), a hand-painted fish spoon in ivory, and a wonderfully preserved wooden bust probably used for supporting a womans wig.

Support for a Feminine Wig at the Emhotep Museum Saqqara - photo by Sandro Vannini This is a miracle, he says of the bust. One season later it would have been disappeared because water was falling down like the Niagara on this, and everything was melted. But we discovered it in time. It is a masterpiece.

Theyre fine artefacts one and all, but Zivie is eager to stress that archaeology, for him, is about so much more than treasure hunting his interest lies in seeking out the stories behind such items, and the light they can shed on the people they were made by and for. We are not looking for treasure; we are not looking for objects, he says. Personally Im looking for history, for facts, for better understanding of this civilization, this culture and this period.

Certainly there are fascinating stories behond the building of the Tomb of Aper-el. Amarna period ruins at Saqqara are extremely rare; Aper-els tomb the entrance to which is through an area known as Abwab el-Qotat (Doors of the Cats), where hundreds of mummified cats had been found interred is perhaps the finest example, and an indicator of the high esteem in which this Egyptian prime minister was held. It bears elegant art work that illustrates the unique style of the Amarna period, a controversial phase of Egyptian history when Akhenten (who was quite possibly King Tuts dad) instituted a controversial rule under one god, which succeeding dynasties attempted to erase from history. Built on four levels, the tomb took years for Zivie and his team to clear completely.

The Vizier of Aper-el - Two Eyes of the King (The Messenger of the King) Aper-el was found buried with his wife, Tauret and his son Huy, who was a pominent general. Both were laid to rest next to Aper-el in similarly beautiful coffins, all of which were located in the funerary chamber of the tomb, which was found concealed behind a staircase. Various articles of funerary equipment and other items were found in the chamber too, including alabaster canopic jars, many jewels and various items of religious and daily use. Paintings elsewhere in the tomb reveal that Aper-el had two other sons who had previously been unknown to ancient historians. They were Seny, who was a high official, and Hatiay, who was a priest.

ArchaeoVideo in HD – The Tomb of Aper-el (Featuring Dr. Alain Zivie)

(Transcription of this video.)

Check out more great archaevideos many of them shot by eminent photographer Sandro Vannini here on Heritage Key. Highlights include Dr Zahi Hawass discussing the restoration of the Synagogue of Moses Ben Maimon in Cairo, a look at prehistoric paintings in Gilf Kebir, Dr Mark Lehner talking about the lives of pyramid builders in ancient Egypt and Dr Salima Ikram describing how Egyptian animal mummies were made.

We regularly release new videos on the site, so sign-up to the Heritage Key RSS feed to be first to hear about each new release(or follow us on Twitter and Facebook), and visit our Youtube channel.

Sandro Vannini’s Photography – King Tut’s Golden Death Mask

The Golden Mask of King Tutankhamun may just be the most stunning artefact from ancient times that archaeologists have ever excavated. The fact that King Tut was a mere minor Pharaoh leaves the funerary gifts offered to the great ones up to our imagination, insofar as imagining such splendour and richness both in value and craftsmanship. As the golden death mask is too fragile to travel, there is no way to see the famous mask unless you travel to Cairo – or is there? The closest you’ll get to experiencing the real thing online is a collection of amazingly detailed photographs by Sandro Vannini, who has over time become an expert in capturing ancient Egyptian artefacts on film, and the virtual experience based on Sandro’s photographs, the King Tut Virtual exhibition.

The Golden Mask of King Tutankhamun

‘King Tut Mask’ Slideshow

Heritage Key is working together with Sandro in making these images, that will arouse any Egyptophile, available on the internet. To watch a slideshow of King Tut’s Death Mask, just click the image on the right.

See it for yourself in King Tut VX

To get an immersing, 360 degree view of the golden mask in 3D, all you need to do is get your avatar, go virtual and start exploring King Tut Virtual. The video below holds a quick preview, but this is nothing compared to standing directly next to the mask, close enough to (virtually) touch it.

Sandro Vannini’s Photography

What makes Sandro’s pics so sublime? Attention for detail and skills gathered over the years in snapping the Gold Mask of King Tut bring out its stunning gold and beautiful precious stones. Of course, the equipment Sandro uses plays a role too: a Hasselblad ELD Ixpress 528C camera. And, of course, the light setup: Gold is a difficult material to photograph correctly, such as in this beautiful Golden Mask, says Sandro. There are so many different alloys, depending on the amount of gold and the combined metal used. All gold is a unique shade, requiring specific lighting set-ups.

So for those of you who cant make the trip to Cairo, we at Heritage Key offer these stunning photographs by world-class photographer Sandro Vannini which capture the beauty and magnificence of King Tutankhamuns Golden Mask. But it doesnt stop there: you can visit virtual replicas of the Golden Mask and other Tutankhamun treasures in the Heritage Key VX King Tut exhibition, which features a digital recreation of the breath-taking artefact.

Don’t miss out on new treasures!

This post is just the first of many focussing on amazing photographs from ancient Egypt. Keep checking back as well keep adding new images by Sandro Vannini. To make sure you don’t miss out on any of the updates, simply subscribe by email to receive notifications when new images are uploaded. For the more digitally advanced, there’s also an RSS feed with updates available.

Suggest a Featured Artefact

We’re taking suggestions! which of King Tut’s treasures you would love to see highlighted on Heritage Key, and we’ll consult Sandro’s extensive archives to see what we can find for you!

Ask Sandro

We’ll be sitting down with our favourite photographer for an extended chat soon, so if you have any questions for Sandro we’ll send the answers straight to you!

The Golden Mask:Facts &Figures

The Golden Mask, created in 1324 BC for the 18th Dynasty boy-king, was discovered when Howard Carter unearthed Tomb KV62 in the Valley of the Kings on his Lord Carnarvon-funded 1922 expedition. Carter had to make a decision whether to remove the mask and risk damaging the mummy, or leave it in place and exhibit the mummy with the mask. In the end the mask was removed and put on display, and its radiating beauty shines through these spectacular pictures.

Gold is the main element of the mask, with the bulk formed by two sheets hammered together; thought by the Ancient Egyptians to emulate the flesh of the gods. It was then shaped into a likeness of King Tut, replete with striped nemes headcloth. The headcloth was formed using inlays of semi-precious stones and coloured glass, which bring out its detail and vibrant colours.

The white eyes were made from quartz, while the pupils were produced from obsidian – with a little red paint used on the corners of the eyes to give them that edge of realism. The radiance of the mask was further enhanced by a sheer layer of silver-rich gold, added to the burnished surface of the face. These images by Sandro show very well the Lapis lazuli in the mask, responsible for the Pharaoh’s deep blue eyebrows.

Upon discovery the earlobes of King Tuts death mask were covered in gold foil, but this was later removed. The mask’s forehead is adorned with a vulture and cobra made of solid gold with inlays of lapis lazuli, carnelian, faence and glass, and represents the protective goddesses of Egypt (The vulture represented Upper Egypt, the cobra Lower). The long, curling beard of the mask, representing divinity, is made from blue glass with a frame of gold.

Engraved into the back and shoulders of the mask are ten lines of hieroglyphic text. These scribe a protection formula, referring to different parts of the body and how they relate to the mask – and its connection to gods and goddesses, thereby protecting King Tuts body in the afterlife. Translated, the text reads:

Your face is Anubis, your right eye is the night boat,
your left eye is the diurnal boat,
your eyebrows correspond to the companion of the nine gods.

King Tutankhamuns Mask has remained in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo since the 1980s, from where Dr. Zahi Hawass insists itll never be moved again due to its fragility. It remains the star attraction for the thousands who flock to the famed museum.

MOVIE: King Tut’s Death Mask on display in Heritage Key VX

Click Play to watch a video of the Golden Mask in Heritage Key VX.

King Tut Virtual is one of the greatest discoveries you can make online. Click your mouse to travel across time and place to explore King Tutankhamun’s tomb in the digital, online Valley of the Kings. Zoom-in and get up-close to some of the most amazing artefacts ever found. Wander the banks of Nile and enjoy a feeling of life in ancient times. The details and realism will astound you. You can invite your friends to join you on this adventure as well as meet people from all over the world in this exciting online environment. Explore the Boy King’s treasures, go virtual and visit the King Tut exhibition nowor learn more about Tutankhamun!