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N0KFQ > TODAY 16.03.15 15:28l 52 Lines 2336 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Today in History - Feb 16
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Sent: 150216/1531Z 47539@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA BPQ1.4.63
Feb 16, 1923:
Archaeologist opens tomb of King Tut
On this day in 1923, in Thebes, Egypt, English archaeologist
Howard Carter enters the sealed burial chamber of the ancient
Egyptian ruler King Tutankhamen.
Because the ancient Egyptians saw their pharaohs as gods, they
carefully preserved their bodies after death, burying them in
elaborate tombs containing rich treasures to accompany the rulers
into the afterlife. In the 19th century, archeologists from all
over the world flocked to Egypt, where they uncovered a number of
these tombs. Many had long ago been broken into by robbers and
stripped of their riches.
When Carter arrived in Egypt in 1891, he became convinced there
was at least one undiscovered tomb--that of the little known
Tutankhamen, or King Tut, who lived around 1400 B.C. and died
when he was still a teenager. Backed by a rich Brit, Lord
Carnarvon, Carter searched for five years without success. In
early 1922, Lord Carnarvon wanted to call off the search, but
Carter convinced him to hold on one more year.
In November 1922, the wait paid off, when Carter's team found
steps hidden in the debris near the entrance of another tomb. The
steps led to an ancient sealed doorway bearing the name
Tutankhamen. When Carter and Lord Carnarvon entered the tomb's
interior chambers on November 26, they were thrilled to find it
virtually intact, with its treasures untouched after more than
3,000 years. The men began exploring the four rooms of the tomb,
and on February 16, 1923, under the watchful eyes of a number of
important officials, Carter opened the door to the last chamber.
Inside lay a sarcophagus with three coffins nested inside one
another. The last coffin, made of solid gold, contained the
mummified body of King Tut. Among the riches found in the
tomb--golden shrines, jewelry, statues, a chariot, weapons,
clothing--the perfectly preserved mummy was the most valuable, as
it was the first one ever to be discovered. Despite rumors that a
curse would befall anyone who disturbed the tomb, its treasures
were carefully catalogued, removed and included in a famous
traveling exhibition called the "Treasures of Tutankhamen." The
exhibition's permanent home is the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: kohiggs@gmail.com
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