Egypt:
THE SEARCH for TUTANKHAMUN
PROGRAMME LENGTH
1 hour
SCREENING DETAILS
Monday 20th April at 9.30am EST/ NZ
This program is a docu-drama re-enacting the career and achievements of Howard
Carter.
It presents a rather rose-coloured perspective on Carter’s work in Egypt from his
beginning as a tomb artist to his major archaeological discovery in 1922. There is
some brief re-enactment of the life and times of Tutankhamun throughout as well.
This would be a useful and engaging introduction to a study of Egypt, Tutankhamun or
Carter for younger students. There are other possible perspectives on the man and the
discovery that could be explored by older students. The concept of historical
documentary as ‘infotainment’ could also be introduced.
Dr Denis Mootz
STAYING FOCUSED.
This is the data collection stage of the activity.
The detailed questioning is designed to ensure that students decode the visual and aural materials
presented to them in the video.
The video programs can be stopped at the end of each section. This will allow students to share and
discuss answers.
Introduction.
Note the comments about the reign and burial of Tutankhamun. Result?
Act 1.
Note the title given to Tutankhamun.
Note details of Howard Carter.
What was Carter’s area of expertise? Result?
Why was Carter working in the temples at Luxor in 1898? Result?
Note details of Theodore Davis.
Note the ‘show’ put on for the opening of the ‘tomb’ in 1901.
What was ‘promising’ about this tomb?
Note how the tomb was ‘opened’? Implications?
Note Carter’s warning to his companions before they entered the tomb. Implications?
What was the result of this excavation?
Note Davis’s reaction?
Why was Lord Carnarvon convalescing in Egypt in 1905? Result?
Note Davis’s reaction to the discovery of gold jewellery. Implications?
How does Davis explain the use of gold in the pharaonic pectoral?
Note Carnarvon’s question to Davis and his archaeologist. Implications?
Note Davis’s description of use of the Valley of the Kings.
How many tombs had Davis worked on?
What intact tomb had he discovered?
How many of the known pharaonic tombs had not yet been located by Davis?
What evidence had Davis found of Tutankhamun?
Why was there a discussion of whether Tutankhamun was a pharaoh?
Act 2.
Note the details of the dress of the pharaoh and his attendants.
Note his age when he became pharaoh.
Why were these ‘dark times’? Result?
What was expected of Tutankhamun? Result?
What does his pharaonic name mean? Implications?
When did Carter meet Carnarvon? Result?
What did Davis’s ‘jars’ contain? Result?
Note Carter’s description of Davis’s interest in archaeology. Implications?
Note Carnarvon’s description of archaeology. Implications?
Note Carter’s description of Egyptian art.
Why was Carter digging at Luxor in 1908?
Note Lord and Lady Carnarvon’s involvement.
What had Davis discovered in the Valley of the Kings? Result?
What was Tutankhamun’s main role as pharaoh?
Why was an incestuous marriage good politics?
Who was Ay? Implications?
What was the first work done during Tutankhamun’s reign?
What personal building project would also commence?
Why is it likely that Ay chose the site for Tutankhamun’s tomb?
What did Davis find in the Valley of the Kings?
What was Carter’s reaction to this find? Result?
Why did Davis decide to retire from digging in the Valley of the Kings? Result?
Act 3.
Why had the license and digging contract changed during Carter’s time in Egypt?
How did Carter plan to conduct his excavation?
Why did he have to clear so much debris? Result?
What interrupted Carter’s dig in the Valley? Result?
Note Carter’s role in WW1.
When did the dig in the Valley of the Kings recommence?
Note the explanation of Carter’s motivation for ‘digging’. Implications?
Why was Carnarvon having second thoughts about his investment in Carter? Result?
How did Carter respond to the imminent end of his commission?
What news did Carter receive from Herbert Winlock in New York? Implications? Result?
Why was a tomb so important for a pharaoh?
Note the details of the requirements of a royal tomb.
How did Carter convince Carnarvon to finance one final season of digging?
What was in the last grid square that Carter had to dig? Implications? Result?
What was the most concerning thing about the tomb discovered?
Note how Carter broke into the tomb. Result?
Note Carter’s reaction to what he saw.
What puzzle remained? Result?
Why couldn’t the interior doorway be removed? Result?
How did Carter know that he had finally ‘hit the jackpot’?
EXTENSIONS.
Useful, interesting, challenging, books, sources and websites will provide materials to supplement and
complement the History presented in the video program.
The data collected here should be used in the notemaking below.
Some useful Internet sites:
New Kingdom Egypt: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Kingdom_of_Egypt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighteenth_Dynasty_of_Egypt
http://discoveringegypt.com/ancient-egyptian-kings-queens/egyptian-dynasties-new-kingdom/
http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/resources/timeline_6.html
http://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/newkingdom/architecture.html
Akhenaten: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhenaten
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarna_Period
http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/akhenaten.html
http://www.livescience.com/39349-akhenaten.html
Tutankhamun: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutankhamun
http://www.biography.com/people/king-tut-9512446
http://www.touregypt.net/museum/tuta.htm
http://www.griffith.ox.ac.uk/discoveringTut/
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/21/tutankhamun-desecration-computer-scanimages-pharoah-archaeological
Ay: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ay
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ay.htm
Ankhesenamun: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankhesenamun
http://euler.slu.edu/~bart/egyptianhtml/kings%20and%20Queens/Ankhesenamun.html
Horemheb: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horemheb
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/horemheb.htm
Yuya and Tjuyu: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tjuyu
Valley of the Kings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_the_Kings
http://www.sca-egypt.org/eng/SITE_VOK.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KV46
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/valley.htm
http://euler.slu.edu/~bart/egyptianhtml/tombs/Tombs_in_the_King's_Valley.html
http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/sites/
Howard Carter: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Carter
http://www.biography.com/people/howard-carter-20683395
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/carter.htm
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/europe/howard-carter-stole-from-tomb-of-tutankhamen
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0216.html
http://www.griffith.ox.ac.uk/gri/4search.html
Theodore Davis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_M._Davis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KV54
Herbert Winlock: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Eustis_Winlock
Lord Carnarvon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Herbert,_5th_Earl_of_Carnarvon
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/carnarvon.htm
KV62: Tutankhamun’s Tomb: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KV62
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/tutexcavation.htm
http://www.griffith.ox.ac.uk/discoveringTut/journals-and-diaries/season-1/journal.html
http://www.nicholasreeves.com/item.aspx?category=Events&id=260
NOTEMAKING.
This is the collation stage of the activity. Students need to organise the field of information and begin to
explore its context.
Directions and /or Inquiry questions are provided for notemaking / summary exercises that
will follow the viewing of the video.
The materials / data for the summaries have been collected above.
The activity could be done in teams, groups, or by individuals, or as a class with teacher direction.
1. Draw up a timeline / chronological chart of the events described and discussed in this program.
2. Note details of New Kingdom Egypt.
3. Note details of the 18th Dynasty Pharaohs and their reigns.
4. Note details of the reign of Amenophis 1V / Akhenaten.
5. Note details of the Valley of the Kings.
6. Note details of the archaeological work of Theodore Davis in Egypt.
7. Note details of the archaeological work of Lord Carnarvon in Egypt.
8. Note details of the archaeological work of Howard Carter in Egypt.
9. Note details of the process by which Carter found and identified the tomb of Tutankhamun
10. Note details of King’s Valley Tomb No.62 (KV62).
ISSUES & INQUIRY.
Key issues and inquiry questions that have been raised by the video are addressed at this stage for
discussion and research.
1. Why did Theodore Davis abandon work in the Valley of the Kings?
2. Why had KV62 escaped discovery by ancient and modern “tomb robbers”?
PROBLEMS of EVIDENCE.
Questions of reliability and validity of the perspectives, evidence and sources presented in the video
program need to be considered, tested and researched.
1. How did Carter know that there was at least one royal tomb not located in the Valley of the
Kings?
2. Why did the Egyptians remove Tutankhamun and other members of his family from the list of
Pharaohs?
COMMUNICATING.
The key issues and inquiry questions are potential topics for debate, essay writing, reports, historical
recount and explanation.
1. Write a REPORT on the archaeological work of Theodore Davis in Egypt.
2. Prepare notes (both sides) for a DEBATE of the proposition that
Archaeologists are modern, more sophisticated “tomb robbers”?
3. What did Howard Carter continue to search for a ‘lost’ Pharaoh when others had given up?