Howard Carter was an archaeologist who made one of the most famous discoveries in history: the intact tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922. Carter spent years searching for the tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt and used his expertise in ancient Egyptian culture and language to carefully excavate the site.
The treasures and artifacts found within the tomb provided unprecedented insights into the lives of the ancient Egyptians and their beliefs. Carter’s discovery sparked a renewed interest in Egyptology and ancient civilizations, and his legacy as an archaeologist continues to be celebrated to this day.
What did Howard Carter say when he found King Tut’s tomb?
When Howard Carter and his team discovered the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun (also known as King Tut) in 1922, he is reported to have said “Yes, wonderful things!” upon seeing the treasure that was inside.
Howard carter education
Howard Carter was an English archaeologist and Egyptologist who is best known for his discovery of the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun (also known as King Tut) in 1922. Carter was born on May 9, 1874, in Kensington, London, England. He received his education at home, as his parents were both artists and believed in the importance of self-education.
Carter became interested in archaeology and ancient Egypt at a young age, and he began studying the subject in depth. In 1891, when he was 17 years old, Carter began working as an artist’s apprentice for the Egypt Exploration Fund, a British organization that was involved in excavations and other activities related to ancient Egypt. Carter worked with the Egypt Exploration Fund for several years, gaining valuable experience and learning about the field of archaeology.
In 1899, Carter was hired by Theodore M. Davis, an American lawyer and amateur archaeologist, to work as an artist and illustrator on his excavation team in Egypt. Carter worked with Davis for several years, helping to document and study the artifacts and other objects that were discovered during the excavations. In 1907, Carter was appointed as the Chief Inspector of Antiquities for Upper Egypt and Nubia by the Egyptian government, a position he held until his resignation in 1914. Carter continued to work in Egypt as an archaeologist and Egyptologist until his death in 1939.
Howard carter facts
Here are some facts about Howard Carter, the English archaeologist and Egyptologist who is best known for his discovery of the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun (also known as King Tut) in 1922:
- Carter was born on May 9, 1874, in Kensington, London, England.
- He received his education at home, as his parents were both artists and believed in the importance of self-education.
- Carter became interested in archaeology and ancient Egypt at a young age, and he began studying the subject in depth.
- In 1891, when he was 17 years old, Carter began working as an artist’s apprentice for the Egypt Exploration Fund, a British organization that was involved in excavations and other activities related to ancient Egypt.
- In 1899, Carter was hired by Theodore M. Davis, an American lawyer and amateur archaeologist, to work as an artist and illustrator on his excavation team in Egypt.
- Carter worked with Davis for several years, helping to document and study the artifacts and other objects that were discovered during the excavations.
- In 1907, Carter was appointed as the Chief Inspector of Antiquities for Upper Egypt and Nubia by the Egyptian government, a position he held until his resignation in 1914.
- Carter continued to work in Egypt as an archaeologist and Egyptologist until his death in 1939.
- Carter’s discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun was a major event in the field of archaeology and made him famous around the world.
- The tomb of Tutankhamun was sealed for over 3,000 years and contained a wealth of artifacts, including gold and jewelry, funerary items, and other valuable objects. Carter and his team spent years cataloguing and studying the items that they found in the tomb, and their wo
The Discovery
- Howard Carter is an important name for those who love Egyptian discoveries and mysteries.
Undoubtedly, his work was among the most outstanding of the time, as he discovered the tomb of one of the most famous pharaohs today: the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Carter at the time of opening the sarcophagi
Howard began his archeological career when he found a job on the team of archeologist P. Newberry, as he needed an artist to paint his discoveries. Howard arrived in Egypt in 1891, he was 17 at the time.
There he worked on Middle Empire tombs in Beni Hassan. He also worked on excavations at El-Amarna, Deir el Babri, Thebes or Abu Simbel. There he learned innovative and modern methods to capture reliefs and other finds.
In addition, in 1899 he served as chief antiquities inspector for Upper Egypt of the Egyptian Antiquities Services and would also be chief antiquities inspector for Lower Egypt shortly thereafter. He resigned in 1905.
In 1907 he was hired by a wealthy English aristocrat, Lord Carnarvon, who was fascinated by Egyptology. Thanks to his support and funding, Carter organized the excavation of the tombs of Egyptian nobles. In 1909 he began excavations in a Teban necropolis. In the early years he discovered several royal tombs linked to pharaohs such as Amenhotep I, Thutmose IV or Queen Hatshepsut.
At the beginning of the 1920s he obtained permission to dig in a place known as the Valley of the Kings. There he began digging in a restricted area in the hope of finding the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen.
The clues and data about the young Pharaoh were very faint and did not really reveal anything enlightening. In addition, the Valley had been excavated previously and nothing related to it had been found, so the expectations of finding something were not too high.
Carter before Tutankhamen’s sarcophagus
In 1922 there was only one place left to excavate, the ruins of some workers’ houses that were in charge of building the royal tombs. A boy who worked as a waterboy began to dig into the ground with a stick, it so happened that he found a step. He then decided to inform Carter and his team of the discovery he had just made.
On November 4, 1922, just a few meters from the tomb of Ramses II, they found stairs that went into the rock. When they finished descending the stairs, they came across a sealed door. This one had the seals broken by old looters, which disappointed them, thinking that the tomb would be looted and nothing of value would remain inside.
However, together with Lord Carnarvon, he decided to open the partition to see what was inside. Upon seeing the inside of the tomb, when asked what he saw, he replied, “I see wonders.
Inside the tomb was an immense collection of treasures belonging to the Pharaoh, belonging to the XVIII dynasty. The tomb consisted of several chambers. Inside was the great trousseau of the young Pharaoh, including trolleys, furniture and even jewels made of solid gold, albeit untidy.
This showed that looters had entered but had to flee before they could do anything. Being Tutankhamen a pharaoh of little importance, when seeing these treasures it gave to think about what type of content would have the tombs plundered of pharaohs much more important as Ramses II or Seti I.
One of the first measures he took was to seal the tomb in order to assemble a large team of professionals to document and preserve everything found. After several weeks they entered the tomb. The most outstanding and fascinating were the three sarcophagi in which the coffin guarding the mummy of the pharaoh was found.
When the latter was opened, they could see the intact mummy covered by the mask of solid gold and colored stones that covered the face of the pharaoh.
What happened to Howard Carter?
Howard Carter was an English archaeologist and Egyptologist who is best known for his discovery of the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun (also known as King Tut) in 1922. After his discovery, Carter became famous and continued to work in Egypt for many years, conducting further excavations and studying the artifacts that he had found.
Howard carter death
Carter died on March 2, 1939, at the age of 64. His cause of death is not widely known, but some sources suggest that he may have died from a form of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the immune system. Carter is remembered as one of the greatest archaeologists of his time and his discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun remains one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Howard Carter’s discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 was a significant event in the field of archaeology and Egyptology. Carter’s careful and methodical approach, combined with his knowledge of ancient Egyptian culture and language, allowed him to uncover one of the most well-preserved tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
The treasures and artifacts found within the tomb have provided invaluable insights into the lives of the ancient Egyptians and their beliefs. Carter’s discovery also sparked a renewed interest in Egyptology and ancient civilizations, leading to further excavations and discoveries in the region.
Overall, Howard Carter’s discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb will be remembered as a landmark achievement in the field of archaeology.
