Geniet dit!
After the visit to the Egyptian Museum I knew I had to read more about the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen. I found the following article. It fascinated me as I saw some of the stuff described in the article.
Enjoy it!
Discovery of King Tut's Tomb
TOMB OPEN AT LUXOR
This Los Angeles Times article describes the first modern glimpse into the inner chamber of King Tutankhamen's tomb. British archaeologists led by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon unearthed a wealth of artifacts in the Egyptian pharaoh's tomb, which they had discovered in November 1922 in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor. The spelling of Tutankhamen's name varies in this account from current practice.
[Copyright, 1923, Public Ledger]
Luxor. Feb. 16.—One of the most wonderful sights ever witnessed by Egyptologists was seen by the excavators of King Tutenkhamun's tomb today when the inner chamber was opened and they peered into the darkness. Around the great sarcophagus lay a mass of precious objects, vases, urns, statuettes and boxes with the dust of thirty centuries on them.
The lights of three powerful electric torches flickered like white moons in the pitch darkness, illuminating sections of the painted walls where the weird gods of Egypt were pictured tending the soul of the king on its journey to the Shades.
Although twenty persons were present there was not a single sound in the dim tomb. The lights focussed on the break in the wall leading to the death chamber. Hearts beat fast as the excavator-in-chief was bidden to look at that which no human eye had seen for 3000 years. No matter how little superstitious a man may be, the act of breaking the rest so carefully guarded through the centuries must cause an emotion which time can never efface. Lord Carnarvon was pale as he stepped slowly into the darkness and was lost in the shadows of ancient Egypt.
SECRECY ENFORCED
This peep into the mummy chamber of the Pharaoh took place amid great secrecy. Not one tourist was present and no correspondent, not even those favored by the excavators, entered the tomb.
The preparations for opening the chamber began at 8:30 o'clock this morning. The impressions of the seals on the inner doorway were taken by Dr. Alan Gardiner and Prof. James H. Breasted of Chicago. The glaring electric lights were tested and the last of the timber work made ready.
The mats on which the life-sized statues of the king had stood were brought out. The statues themselves had been encased to prevent damage.
The party of twenty arrived at 1:15 o'clock for the great event. It included Howard Carter, whose twenty years of work is now crowned with success, Sir William Garvin, Lord Carnavon, Inspector Engelbash in charge of antiquities in Upper Egypt, Director George Lacaus of Egyptian antiquities, and Soliman Pasha, Under-secretary for Public Works. Lady Evelyn Herbert, Lord Carnavon's daughter, was the only woman present.
CHISELS SPEAK
The door of the outer chamber was reopened at 1:30 o'clock. Cane chairs were taken into the tomb for visitors. The men removed their coats because of the stifling heat which they would experience below, and at last the party entered. A dramatic period of suspense and excitement followed. Howard Carter could be heard making a speech to the assembly in the depths of the tomb and there was a sound of hand-clapping at the close. Then at exactly twelve minutes to 2 came the first knock on the wall sealing the mummy chamber. Piercing the wall with chisels had begun.
I cannot exaggerate the indescribably weird effect of this knocking within the depths of the earth as it echoed in the still hot hush of the afternoon through the silent valley which had so long kept its royal secret.
A hawk hovered over the tomb like a spirit of the old gods.
“Chip, chip, chip,” sounded the chisels incessantly for twenty minutes.
Then a native in white pattered up the tomb steps barefooted, carrying the first stones from the wall in the inner chamber. He stacked them against the wall which had been built around the tomb.
Another half-hour passed and the stone wall outside grew higher. Then the sound of chiseling ceased and the clear voice of Lady Evelyn Herbert was heard saying, “No I can't,” as someone invited her to tell if she could see anything in the gloom. This was the first sign that those within were able to look into the mummy chamber.
The sound of chisels started again and continued until twenty minutes past two. A dead silence followed. The mummy chamber had been entered. It had taken thirty centuries to find the Pharaoh and only forty minutes to break his rest.
Ten minutes later Lord Carnarvon, deadly white and looking worn out with excitement and the heat of the tomb, walked slowly up the steps and sat down alone. After a few puffs on a cigaret he reentered the tomb. At twenty-five minutes past four after more than two hours in the tomb the party straggled up in twos and threes, pale and heated and trying to conceal what they had experienced, but their attempt was unavailing.
At last the news leaked out. Hopes had been realized. From eye-witnesses it was learned that when the wall was broken the excavators looked into a high, dark room, fourteen feet square, magnificently painted with pictures of the gods of the underworld and covered with bands of hieroglyphic inscriptions. The paint was as bright as new and the torchlight flickered on an immense sarcophagus standing in the center. It was impossible to move the great lid inside of which is another coffin and inside that a third, in which it is believed the body of Tutenkhamun will be found.
Mr. Carter went in first, with Lord Carnarvon, the under-secretary of state. Lady Evelyn and M. Lacau following. They were the only people to enter. The others stood peering through the broken wall into the darkness as the lights flashed through.
The sarcophagus was all gold. It glistened and sparkled. Treading softly on dust no human feet had touched for thirty centuries the little party stood awestruck before the image of a giant cat, beautifully painted, which has kept vigil over the coffin of King Tutenkhamun all these years. When the party recovered from the wonder of the first room another surprise was in store. On the right was seen an opening leading to a room stacked with funeral furniture in indescribable confusion. Among the most remarkable objects were three more war chariots, standing upright, decorated and gilded just as they were placed there by the burial party 3000 years ago. It was impossible to walk into this room owing to the mass of valuable objects.
Source: Los Angeles Times, February 17, 1923.
Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006. © 1993-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
1 comment:
Hi Lodie
Laat 'n mens net weer besef hoe klein en nietig ons werklik is!
Groete uit Kroondal
Johan
Post a Comment