Howard Carter's excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 was one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. The name of Egypt's 'boy king' is now synonymous with the glories of this ancient civilisation, and the spectacular contents of his tomb continue to capture the public's imagination. A king of minor historical importance, Tutankhamun reigned fewer than ten years (about 1336-1327 BC) and probably died at the age of eighteen. Within a few decades, his makeshift tomb was twice robbed, then re-sealed and forgotten. Realising that this one royal tomb remained unaccounted for, Howard Carter, with the backing of his patron Lord Carnarvon, searched the Valley of the Kings for Tutankhamun's elusive resting place. As hope faded after five years of futile work, Carter discovered the tomb's entrance stairway and, on 26th November 1922, first glimpsed the "wonderful things" within. The clearance of the tomb took ten years, during which Carter painstakingly recorded the position, size and appearance of every object, supplemented by detailed drawings and photographs.
The complete original excavation records from the tomb of Tutankhamun were deposited in the archives of the Griffith Institute at the University of Oxford. Established in 1939 as the centre for Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern, the Archive now accommodates more than 130 substantial manuscript groups for Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, ranging from scholarly papers to nineteenth century photographs, paintings, and drawings. The exhibition will be built around these records including the photographs of Harry Burton; he was the only photographer permitted to work in the tomb and his iconic photographs captured the story of the excavation as it unfolded, creating not only beautiful images, but an invaluable record of archaeological context. In 2014, the Griffith Institute celebrates its 75th anniversary. The exhibition will provide an opportunity to recognise the vital role of this institution in preserving the history of the discipline of Egyptology, enabling future generations to investigate records created by their predecessors.
This catalogue will draw on the Ashmolean's significant collection of ancient Egyptian material of the Amarna Period (about 1350-1330 BC) as well as the archives of the Griffith Institute to tell the story of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, placing the discoveries in their historical context, and exploring how modern Egyptologists are reinterpreting the evidence.
