The incredible legacy of Tutankhamun
Three-thousand-year-old treasures can still enthral and inspire
When archaeologist Howard Carter first broke through into Tutankhamun’s tomb 100 years ago, his sponsor Lord Carnarvon asked whether he could see anything. As his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, lit only by the candle he was holding, Carter could see ‘strange animals, statues and gold – everywhere the glint of gold’. He replied ‘Yes, wonderful things.’
This sensational find, probably the most famous in all archaeological history, ignited a media frenzy, a global craze for all things Egyptian and fuelled Egyptian desire for independence from British rule. Amid the wider cultural significance and the wonderful story of the discovery, it’s easy to overlook that all the wonderful treasures found in the tomb, and the well-preserved body of the boy king himself, were made by skilled craftspeople around 3500 years ago.