King Tut Secrets Go Online

Published July 20, 2010 | Press TV | It's a wonder that only a portion of all the data has been published about Tutankhamun. Why excavate if one is going to keep the information gained from it to one's self? I'm glad to see that this is becoming a trend - the trend of disseminating any and all information learned from excavations, scientific experiments, etc. Even better that it will be digitally available.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

An Oxford University scholar has made the information found by British Egyptologist Howard Carter during excavations at Tutankhamun's tomb available online.

Hieroglyphs Study Day in Oxford

Published June 23, 2010 | Challenging the Past Blog | by Marsia Sfakianou Bealby | Takes place on June 26 from 10:30 to 3:30, Oxford time. Egyptologist-led study day at the Griffith Institute Archive and the Ashmolean Museum, limited to 10 people. Marsia's post also includes an itinerary, which includes taking a look at archival records at the Griffith and examining artifacts at the Ashmolean. Don't forget about the coffee!

To Bury a Pharaoh - an Interview with Met Curator Dorothea Arnold

Published May 8, 2010 | Archaeology Magazine Online | by Eti Bonn-Muller | An interview with Met curator Dorothea Arnold who takes a fresh look at the leftover materials from Tutankhamun's mummification, which are the subject of an exhibit entitled Tutankhamun's Funeral at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Features photos and a very detailed conversation.

Remaking History’s Shelves: SCA's Plan for New Museums

Accessed February 14, 2010 | Egypt Today | by Michael Kaput | This article is an overview of the SCA's ongoing and future plans to develop and restore museums to create better areas for housing the nation's antiquities, which have been in dire need of an appropriate and safe environment to be showcased. Here is an excerpt:

The building that houses the office in charge of the nation’s museums at the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) downtown is grand but half-finished. With some work, it could be truly magnificent. Whether that work gets done anytime soon is anyone’s guess. The same could be said about the SCA’s colossal undertaking to give the country’s staggering collection of artifacts a new showcase.

Flush with ticket revenue from international exhibitions and local tourist sites, the SCA is in the midst of a project that will see 20 new museums covering every governorate, and long-closed favorites re-opening to the public over the next five years. More than just cash cows feeding on tourist dollars, however, the new museums are also hope to reconnect Egyptians with their own heritage, in their own neighborhoods.

...

Part of the SCA’s plan is to air out the museum, transferring more than 20 percent of the objects, including the famed royal mummies, to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in El Fustat, due to open in two years. King Tutankhamun’s treasures will be moved to the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) being built at the Giza Plateau, which the Museum Sector head confirms is on schedule to open in five years.

The Legacy of Howard Carter - Explorer and Thief?

Originally published January 15, 2010 | Free Internet Press | by Matthias Schulz, translated from German by Ella Ornstein | The following is an excerpt from this revealing article about perhaps the most well-known archaeologist, discoverer of perhaps the most well-known Ancient Egyptian pharaoh:

The grandeur of the find rubbed off on its discoverer. Carter was awarded an honorary doctorate and U.S. President Calvin Coolidge invited him to tea. Horst Beinlich, Egyptologist at Wurzburg University, calls him a "thoroughly honest man full of idealism."

It appears, however, that this isn't quite true. Documents show that the hero of the tombs cheated on many counts, manipulating photographs, forging documentation on the discovery and deceiving the Egyptian Antiquities Service.

The discoveries in that tomb set in motion a power struggle that has been only partially uncovered. Carter wanted to send as much of the treasure as possible to England and the United States. This plan quickly met with resistance. Egypt had been a British protectorate since 1914, but the administration of antiques lay in the hands of a particularly intractable Frenchman.

In the end, Carter's entire scheme went awry and the pharaoh's golden treasures remained in Cairo, marking the end of an era of ruthless appropriation of cultural assets. Carter and his team went away empty-handed.

Heritage Key Launches Tutankhamun Series from Lord and Lady Carnarvon

Originally published January 4, 2010 | Yahoo! News | Source: Heritage Key |

Heritage Key continues to recreate great historical sites as virtual online experiences with its newly launched accessible video series that delves into the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and the men behind the discovery.

Heritage Key provides a page dedicated to everything Tutankhamun as well as a launching page to the Tutankhamun/Carter-Carnavron video series.

The Valley of the Kings Since King Tut

Originally published November 8, 2009 | Zahi Haswass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

Dr. Hawass reminisces on the anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb and speaks about the symposium that was held in celebration of this event and the opening of the Carter Museum and the new entrance at Luxor Temple. Check out the pictures that accompany the blog post.

Tutankhamun Finder's Home on Show

Originally published November 4, 2009 | BBC News | by Yolande Knell

After many curious inquiries by tourists, Carter's home away from home, the abode where he studied and cataloged everything to do with his recent discovery in the Valley of the Kings 87 years ago to the day (well, yesterday), has been renovated and opened to the public as a museum.

Needless to say, I'd probably be teary-eyed were I to visit the place. I get that way even in ordinary history museums, for goodness sake! I remember standing before a glass case that housed pewter 17th century dinnerware, so enamored by and lost in the grooves ensconced in the plates that pirates had made with their knifes. I thought, "Wow, real pirates had made those marks." Imagine how I'd react to standing over tools Carter used to poke around in Tutankhamun's tomb! I'm looking forward to visiting this in person when I finally get myself to Egypt.

More on Site Management and Restoration at Luxor

Originally published September 1, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | Dr. Hawass

Zahi Hawass supplements Nevine El-Aref's article at Al-Ahram Weekly Online concerning major developments to monuments and archaeological sites at Luxor; this time, it straight from the source. Less site pollution at Deir el-Bahri; a new lighting system has been tested to dazzle visitors to the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, the mortuary temples, and Deir el-Bahri at night; the future opening (significantly dated for November 4th) of Howard Carter's rest-house; and more are detailed in Hawass' post.

Luxor Monuments and Archaeological Sites Undergo Major Developments

Originally published August 25 - September 2, 2009 | Al-Ahram Weekly Online | by Nevine El-Aref

Below is an excerpt from Al-Ahram Weekly Online; click the above link to read the full story:

Last Week Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), and Samir Farag, head of Luxor City Supreme Council (LCSC) celebrated the completion of several development projects at archaeological sites on both the east and west banks of the Nile. They also visited other ongoing projects for which the total budget was LE127 million. These projects include the restoration of Howard Carter's rest-house with a view to developing it as a museum, the first phase of the installation of a new lighting system in the Valley of the Kings, a new visitor centre at Deir Al-Bahari, and the reopening of the Youssef Abul-Haggag mosque after restoration.

Press Release - New Developments at Luxor

Originally published August 17, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass The following is an excerpt from Zahi Hawass' blog that tells of several complete projects of both ancient and modern structures. Links to further information within Zahi Hawass' blog, accompanying pictures of the objects of discussion, and a map are also provided.

Today, Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), and Dr. Samir Farag, Head of the Luxor Supreme Council (LSC), will celebrate the completion of several development projects at different archaeological sites on Luxor’s western and eastern banks, and visit other ongoing projects, for which the total budget was LE 127 million.

These projects include the restoration of Abul Hagag El-Loxori Mosque, changing the entrance of Luxor temple, the development of the area around Deir el-Bahri Temple, the restoration of Howard Carter’s rest house with a view to developing it into a museum, and the installation of a new lighting system in the Valley of the Kings.

Book Review - In the Valley of the Kings: the Mad Hunt for King Tut's Tomb

Originally published August 7, 2009 | The Seattle Times | by Alexander F. Remington (the Washington Post)

Featured at the Seattle Times is a rather new book (among the many others) about Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. Given is a short synopsis, the author, how many pages, and pricing. Visit Amazon to purchase the book.

King Tut Explorer’s Photos, Treasures Revealed

Originally published July 16, 2009 | MSNBC | by Rossella Lorenzi

The Highclere cache is just a tiny part of a magnificent collection which Almina, Lord Carnarvon's wife and the illegitimate daughter of Alfred de Rothschild of the famous banking family, sold to the Metropolitan Museum in New York in 1926.

The long-hidden collection is now presented in its full glory in the cellars of the castle, along with hundreds of unpublished photographs taken by Lord Carnarvon between 1907 and 1914. They were discovered two years ago in the family archives by Fiona, the Eighth Countess of Carnarvon.

The following is a direct link to the exhibit.

Lecture at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in D.C. - In the Valley of the Kings: Howard Carter and the Mystery of King Tutankhamun’s Tomb

Accessed July 20, 2009 | The Corcoran Gallery of Art

The topmost program listing features an event that focuses on Daniel Meyerson's book, In the Valley of the Kings: Howard Carter and the Mystery of King Tutankhamun’s Tomb. It will be held in D.C. at the Corcoran, so if you're in the area, stop by.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Egyptian Antiquities

Originally published July 13, 2009 | Middle East Online | by Leila Diab

This freelance journalist and educator puts into scholastic comparison the golden artifacts of Tutankhamun exhibit at the de Young Museum and their significance to Ancient Egyptian thought and ends with words said by Howard Carter upon revealing the glint of gold through a hold in the wall with a tiny candle that still hold true today as we moderns make our way through the exhibit today.

Books in Brief - In the Valley of the Kings

Originally published July 5, 2009 | Denver Post | by Alexander F. Remington

This new book chronicles Howard Carter's quest to find Tutankhamun's tomb. It features background on both men and focusing on their roles in archaeology and Egyptology.

From the Valley of the Kings

Accessed June 25, 2009 | San Francisco Examiner

The following are special feature articles that chronicle the Boy King's return to San Francisco as an exhibit at the M.H. de Young Museum. Click each link to read each article:

After a Thirty-Year Wait, the Boy King is Back, by Steven Winn (about the trek and past history of Tutankhamun's artifacts to San Francisco)

Tut Mystery Revealed — Almost, by Brent Begin (Zahi Hawass speaks at a press conference about the exhibit at the museum)

The Boy King is Back in Town (Major sponsors, presenters, patrons and organizers of the exhibit come together in anticipation of the show)

The King Tut Mystique, by Leslie Katz (the Fine Arts Museums Director, John Buchanan, gives his reactions to and advice about attending the exhibit)

First Tut Exhibit Nearly Missed, by Steven Winn (a bit of history of the first time the Tutankhamun collection was showcased in San Francisco in 1979, how it almost bypassed the city, and how it eventually became one of the cities to host the exhibit)

Tunneling Back Through Time, by Steven Winn (Steven Winn reminisces about his travels through Ancient Egyptian exhibits at home an throughout Egypt)

Gilded Remnants of a Lost Epoch, by Steven Winn (showcases the poster boy of the exhibit, a golden coffinette for one of Tutankhamun's internal organs)

A Life Dedicated to Antiquity, by Steven Winn (Steven Winn tells of the life and times of Zahi Hawass)

Discoveries of a Lifetime, by Steven Winn (gives a brief acknowledgment to the man who brought Tutankhamun to the world: Howard Carter)

This web page also comes with a digital companion guide of the museum's Tutankhamun exhibit.

Video - Unearthing Egypt's Ancient Tombs

Originally published June 19, 2009 | San Francisco News | by Spencer Christian

Dr. Hawass gives Spencer Christian a tour of the Valley of the Kings, illustrating the backbreaking work that goes into archaeology and conservation.

Video - A Rich Exhibit: the Tomb of Tutankhamun

Originally published June 19, 2009 | San Francisco News | by Spencer Christian

Follow this link to watch a video where Dr. Hawass gives Spencer Christian a tour of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, speaking about the importance of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. This article ends with links to various resources.

Video - Fact of Fiction: The Curse of King Tut

Originally published June 19, 2009 | San Francisco News | by Spencer Christian

Follow this link to watch a video where Dr. Hawass describes the first time he met Tutankhamun's mummy for the first time. This article also features links to several resources.