Uncovering a Wealth of Information Using Everyday Objects

The tomb of Tutankhamun, opened up by Howard Carter and his team in November 1922, is the only “essentially intact” pharaoh’s tomb to have been found. However the glittering golden artefacts discovered within this royal resting place may have blinded people to the importance of the scientific study of this significant site.

In this blog, Rogério Sousa, co-editor of Tutankhamun and Carter (Oxbow Books, 2024), sheds light on the insights that can be provided by an examination of both the overlooked objects of ‘daily life’ and the much-admired treasures found in Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Tutankhamun and Carter was prepared to showcase the variety of perspectives which can be observed in the study of objects from the tomb of Tutankhamun.

This applies in particular to the ‘ordinary’ items found at the site, which have not received as much attention as the ‘treasure’. A wide range of ‘daily life’ objects, such as baskets or leather artefacts, have been largely overlooked over the years, and they have only recently begun to receive the study and attention that they deserve.

However, even famous masterpieces, such as the golden throne of the king, have remained poorly studied from the technical standpoint, in particular owing to their popularity and ‘charisma’.

The planning for the Grand Egyptian Museum and the move of the Tutankhamun objects from the Egyptian Museum at Tahir Square to Giza has given various experts more access to these objects and made it possible to look at them in new lights, particularly in terms of materiality and craft techniques.

Incidents like the attack on the Egyptian Museum in Cairo during the revolution in 2011, and the detachment of the divine beard from the golden mask of the king, also opened windows of opportunity for first-hand examination and restoration of precious objects which would otherwise have remained out of reach.