Jump to ratings and reviews

The Tomb of Tut.Ankh.Amen, in three volumes #2

The Tomb of Tutankhamun: Volume II—Burial Chamber & Mummy

The Tomb of Tut.ankh.Amen: The Burial Chamber was originally published in 1927 as the second volume of Carter's magnificent triology. It records, in thrilling detail, the work of the second and third seasons at the tomb: the opening of the four protective shrines; the discovery within of Tutankhamun's quartz-sandstone sarcophagus; the extraction of the king's three anthropoid coffins (the innermost of solid gold); and the final examination of the pharaoh's splendidly bejewelled mummy.

191 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1927

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Howard Carter

19 books47 followers
Howard Carter is best known for his discovery of the tomb of the 14th century BCE Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Carter was an English archaeologist and Egyptologist who devoted his life to archaeology. He first travelled to Egypt in 1891, where he held several archaeological positions, until in 1907 he was privately funded by the English aristocrat Lord Carnarvon to carry out work at Carnarvon's excavation sites. This work was interrupted by World War One, but resumed immediately after. In 1922, growing tired of the lack of results Carnarvon offered Carter one more year of funding.

On the 4th of November 1922 Carter discovered the entrance to the tomb of Tutankhamun. This discovery immediately gained international attention, and huge crowds flocked to see the tomb. This was the first intact ancient, royal Egyptian discovered. The immensely demanding task of excavating and examining the artefacts continued for several years, amidst a great amount of controversy and difficulties.

Carter eventually left Tutankhamum for others, and spent the remainder of his life as an agent for collectors and museums, and as a public speaker on the subject of Egyptology.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
40 (44%)
4 stars
31 (34%)
3 stars
17 (18%)
2 stars
2 (2%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Profile Image for Boudewijn.
896 reviews225 followers
May 5, 2020
Three thousand years and more had elapsed since men's eyes had gazed into that golden coffin - Howard Carter

This is a follow up review from The Tomb of Tutankhamun: Volume I—The Discovery (review here) where Howard Carter researches the sarcophagus of the young pharaoh and sees him for the first time:
At such moments the emotions evade verbal expression, complex and stirring as they are. Three thousand years and more had elapsed since men's eyes had gazed into that golden coffin. Time, measured by the brevity of human life, seemed to lose its common perspectives before a spectacle so vividly recalling the solemn religious rites of a vanished civilization
267 reviews1 follower
February 9, 2022
Oh I loved how thorough this book was! Based on my experience with the first book, I expected this book to contains similar details about burial chamber. What all was found in and around the mummy and may be some explanation of tomb walls and their meanings, but not more. This books is much much more and I loved it.
Profile Image for Deborah James.
192 reviews1 follower
May 8, 2023
In the second of his diaries, Howard Carter details his discovery of Tutankhamun’s burial chamber, the breakthrough of each of his four protective shrines that nearly completely filled the chamber, the quartz-sandstone sarcophagus, the three coffins made of pure gold, the famous death mask of the king himself and the bejewelled mummy that lay beneath it.

Find my full review on my blog -> http://bookworminglife.com/howard-car...
222 reviews5 followers
September 2, 2020
Technicians of ancient Egypt, their skills, materials, and methods

Examined, explained and thoroughly set forth in modern terms for the benefit of all who in the course of events, may be interested.
22 reviews
September 6, 2018
Excellent!!!

A great continuation to Howard Carter’s amazing find and the science of archeology. I’m looking forward to reading Volume III!!!
263 reviews1 follower
May 27, 2023
Though I'm a history buff, I never took to ancient Egypt. What should I care for a civilization whose pictorial conventions in particular and art in general barely ever evolved (1) and its wholesale obession with death and the hereafter? Creepy!
Still one must always keep an open mind. And if I'm honest, I'll say that when I went to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo, I was over the moon, elbowing my way through the crowd from one stupendous statue to the next wowing showcase the only drawback of the visit. Furthermore deep inside of me, there is still this little boy with his adventurous spirit untrammelled by the passage of time and growing old.
Hence Howard Carter's memoir.
The man was convinced one more tomb was yet to be unearthed in the Valley of the Kings but he was running out of time and Lord Carnavon, his benefactor, out of patience. Everyone was getting flustered by the day. So it was quite a piece of luck when a young local boy (2 ) rushed to Carter with the hunch that what he had just happened on in the dust might well be the upper step to a flight of stairs hidden below ground, the outset of an extraordinary discovery!
So this is the sense of thrill I felt throughout this very good book. Of course we now know much more than Carter did at the time. For instance, historians can now explain why Tutankhamun's belongings were found unceremoniously strewn all over the floor, evidence of a desecrating rush in the burial of the young pharaoh. You won't find the key to the mystery in the book (3), but you'll still enjoy a story worth its salt.
(1): I am convinced that the bust of Nefertiti displayed in Berlin in the Neues Museum is but a scam; were it not, the curator would have given the nod to running a carbon 14 test a long time ago, wouldn't he?
(2): Today in Egypt,a campaign is being launched to pull his name out of the shadow and fairly put his memory in the limelight, which is just about time, I'd say!
(3): You may find it interesting to browse through Science News and the article "King Tut's tomb has secrets to reveal 100 years after its discovery", one of many recent publications on the matter.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews