1922 — opening of Tutankhamun 's tomb
On November 4, 1922, the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun was discovered in Egypt. The tomb is located in the Valley of the Kings, and it is the only tomb almost not looted, which has reached scientists in its original form, although it was opened twice by tomb thieves. It was discovered in 1922 by two Englishmen — the Egyptologist Howard Carter and the amateur archaeologist Lord Carnarvon. Numerous ornaments have been preserved in the tomb, as well as a sarcophagus made of pure gold with the mummified body of the pharaoh.
In 1907, Egyptologist and archaeologist Howard Carter was hired by George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, to oversee excavations in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. The scientist managed to create a good reputation for himself by scrupulously describing and preserving discoveries.
The search in the valley, which lasted for many years, yielded very modest results, which eventually brought on Carter the wrath of his employer. In 1922, Lord Carnarvon told him that he would stop funding the work from next year.
Carter, desperate for a breakthrough, decided to return to the previously abandoned excavation site. On November 4, 1922, his team discovered a step cut into the rock. By the end of the next day, a whole staircase had been cleared. Carter immediately sent a message to Carnarvon, begging him to come as soon as possible.
On November 26, Carter, along with Carnarvon, opened a small gap in the corner of the door at the end of the stairs. Holding the candle, he looked inside.
A team of archaeologists has discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, a young king who ruled Egypt from 1332 to about 1323 BC.
Despite the evidence that the tomb was visited twice by ancient robbers, the contents of the room remained virtually untouched. The tomb was stuffed with thousands of priceless artifacts, including a sarcophagus with the mummified remains of Tutankhamun.
Each object in the tomb was carefully described and catalogued before removal. This process took almost eight years.
These photographs documenting the discovery of the legendary tomb of Tutankhamun were colorized by Dynamichrome for the exhibition The Discovery of King Tut, which will open in New York on November 21, 2015.