The Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb

On November 4, 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter, funded by Lord Carnarvon, discovered the entrance to the tomb of the boy-pharaoh Tutankhamun (who ruled ~1332-1323 BCE) in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor. When Carter peered through a hole in the sealed doorway on November 26, Carnarvon asked, "Can you see anything?" Carter replied: "Yes, wonderful things." The tomb — virtually intact after 3,245 years — contained over 5,000 artifacts, including the iconic golden death mask (11 kilograms of solid gold), gilded shrines, chariots, thrones, jewelry, and food offerings. The discovery ignited a global "Egyptomania" craze that influenced Art Deco design, fashion, and popular culture. The supposed "Curse of the Pharaohs" — fueled by Carnarvon's death from an infected mosquito bite five months after the opening — added mystery. Tutankhamun, a minor pharaoh who died at 19, became the most famous ruler of ancient Egypt solely because his tomb survived intact while those of far greater pharaohs were plundered millennia ago.