Group Task: Abiny, Hayati, Yibing (Ice)
You are working for Howard Carter.
Due:
You have been assigned a section of the tomb of King Tut.
1) Develop a paragraph that describes your section
The burial chamber is the place in which King Tutankhamun’s body rested in,
until discovery. Hidden in the very depths of the tomb, the room holds some
spectacular artefacts embedded with gold and fine jewels, engraved and carved
in great detail. The section can be entered through the corridor/antechamber.
The walls are painted elaborately with paintings and hieroglyphics straight from
The Book of the Dead. Despite the elaborate and meticulous details of the
artefacts in the burial chamber, it seems that the items were placed in the
chamber in disarray – possibly a sign of hasty preparation, suggesting, what
might have been an unexpected death.
2) Draw up a table that:
a) Lists the items of your room
b) Speculate on their purposes
Item
Physical Description
Name/Category
Triple Lamp
Colour Plate 10
Speculated Purpose
Emblem of
Anubis Colour
Plate 10
Guarding the pharaoh;
passage to the underworld
The use of a lamp; holding
wicks or oil; possibly for
light to guide the pharaoh to
the afterlife
Lion Unguent
Jar Colour Plate
10
Found to have fats/oils
possibly to supply candles/
lamps
Gold Staff
Colour Plate 12
Ceremonial coronation staff
that depicts his likeness
Ostrich Feather
Fan Colour
Plate 11
As the name suggests;
protection
Double Case
Colour Plate 11
Two boxes in the form of
cartouches which held some
kind of brown substance
Gold dagger
and sheath
Colour Plate 14
Highly embellished and
detailed suggesting to the
Gods of his high status; had
more of a decorative value
Flexible Bead
Bracelet Colour
Plate 15
Bracelets placed on the
mummies arms
Gold Rings
Colour Plate 15
Rings show resemblance to
Gods perhaps to offer
protection
Vulture Collar
Colour Plate 13
Huge necklace laid on the
mummy; ornamentation
Necklace with
Vulture
Pendant Colour
Plate 14
Kept in a layer of bandage
close to the mummy itself
indicating importance
The Gold Mask
Colour Plate 12
To protect his mummy since
it was in solid gold; also
indicated the importance of
the body; spell on the mask
intended to protect the body
3) Write 1 to 2 paragraphs on this question:
What does the Burial Chmaber tell us about the life of King Tut?
The burial chamber seems to pose as more questions than it answers. However it does
tell us a lot about the time of Tutankhamun, specifically in terms of the lifestyle of the
rich, the beliefs/rituals concerning the afterlife and the importance of religion and
materialism in the world of Ancient Egypt. It is well known that Egyptians had great
belief in the afterlife- they were buried with thousands of little statuettes that
resembled slave workers- everything from the supervisors to the cleaners. Candles,
jewellery, scribes made to impress the gods upon entrance to the afterlife all seem to be
norms in Ancient Egyptian burial chambers. The fact that these items were kept in the
burial chamber (closest to the mummy) suggest that perhaps these items were deemed
most valuable and required by the Pharaoh as soon as he awoke in the afterlife. It is
interesting to note that the Pharaoh had a lot of jewellery with him and a staff with a
statuette of himself on top. This could perhaps suggest a more materialistic society,
where ornamental goods played such a high role in one’s life (afterlife= life, i.e. what you
need in life you need in the afterlife). However it can be challenged that these “Items of
luxury” (ostrich-feather fan, jewellery) could also be offering to gods.