5 jaw-dropping facts about King Tutankhamun and his tomb of treasures
In November 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter uncovered a sealed stairway and found the door to the intact tomb of King Tutankhamun. Now 100 years later, the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb remains one of the most important moments in all of Egyptian archaeology.
From his symbolic footwear to his priceless coffin, here are five surprising facts about King Tutankhamun and his tomb of treasures...
1. Tutankhamun was buried with 5,000 priceless treasures, including hundreds of pairs of shoes!
Tutankhamun's golden coffin was buried in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings, surrounded by 5,000 priceless treasures. These ranged from canopic jars that contained his organs to his dazzling footwear, some of which depicted paintings of his enemies on the soles, so everywhere the king went, he trampled all over his foes!
2. Tutankhamun was buried in three coffins
King Tut's coffin was an intricate three-piece sarcophagus of which the outermost was in red quartzite and the innermost was made of solid gold (weighing around 240 pounds - that's as heavy as a giant panda!). It would be worth well over one million pounds in today's currency.
3. Tutankhamun was only 19 years old when he died
Despite being buried in such an extravagant coffin, Tutankhamun's tomb was fairly small for a Pharaoh. Archaeologists believe that it was built for an Egyptian noble but was used for Tutankhamun when he died unexpectedly at a young age of 19 in 1324 B.C. Having ascended the throne at only 9 years old, Tutankhamun is the youngest pharaoh ever to rule over the ancient Egyptian empire.
4. Some people think Tutankhamun’s tomb is cursed
Enter at your own risk! Ever since Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922 it was believed that anyone who dared enter would face a deadly ancient curse, known as the "Curse of the Pharaoh".
5. Tutankhamun’s tomb was robbed - twice!
It took Howard Carter and his team a decade to catalogue and empty Tutankhamun's tomb from discovery in 1922. However, Carter wasn't the first to lay eyes on all of King Tut's magnificent treasures, as the tomb had previously been broken into and robbed twice beforehand!
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