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The Discovery of the Tomb of TutankhamenTHE DISCOVERY OF THE TOMB OF TUTANKHAMEN by Carter, Howard (Author) on Jun-01-1977 Paperback

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The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen by Carter,Howard; Mace,A. C.. [1977] Paperback

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First published January 1, 1923

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
Profile Image for Jim.
2,390 reviews785 followers
January 6, 2019
Howard Carter's The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamens, regrettably, an unknown classic of archeology. Although he discovered and excavated the tomb of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamen, Carter never received the credit he deserved. Although he received honors from Yale and the University of Madrid, he was never sufficiently honored in his own country because he was (1) from the lower classes and (2) had a prickly personality.

I doubt that I have ever read any work of archeology that described the care that must be taken in digging out the distant past. What does one do when the pharaoh's leather goods, textiles, and papyrus have turned to dust? What about the thousands of beads when the threads holding them together have rotted away?

In this book, which Carter rushed out in 1923 in response to the worldwide reaction to his discovery of the tomb, he described only the anteroom of the tomb and an annex -- he was yet to actually excavate the tomb. The work was to take him another eight or nine years. Even in this partial survey of the grave goods found in the antechamber, Carter excels in describing the care that was taken every step of the way.

This book deserves to be read by everyone interested in ancient Egypt.
Profile Image for Philomena McGirr.
6 reviews1 follower
December 21, 2015
Absolutely fascinating read. Howard Carter has a knack for making you feel like you're there and experiencing the discovery of the tomb for the first time yourself. The sense of awe and excitement at finding a near intact tomb and stepping into it for the first time since the 19th Dynasty is there, and I found this a moving aspect of the book.

Carter doesn't just focus on the discovery, and also has a chapter on the historical context and what was known about Tutankhamun pre-discovery which was interesting. I enjoyed the explanations of how they preserved many objects, which really puts the issue of archaeologists back in the day all being useless and caring only about gold to bed!

My one and only criticism is that it ends when they've just opened the burial chamber, so there is only the description of the Antechamber. I do believe there is another volume (on my edition of this book it says it's 'Volume I of The Tomb of Tutankhamun' - I've seen a couple of reviews mention this same frustration so it might be possible to seek out volume II and read the rest of the story! I have yet to do so though).

All in all, very interesting and enjoyable to read and it filled me with envy of Howard Carter and, indeed, everyone else involved in the excavation. A must-read for anyone interested in Egyptology.
Profile Image for Lucy.
595 reviews152 followers
May 17, 2007
No matter how cliche Tut now is, to read of the tomb's discovery is terribly thrilling and envy-inspiring. I would also like to give a shout-out to Arthur Mace, who is not listed as one of the authors in this record, but in fact was quite dependable, meticulous, and in general instrumental in the discovery and documentation of the tomb.
Profile Image for Boudewijn.
836 reviews200 followers
May 5, 2020
Can you see anything? Yes, wonderful things - Howard Carter

A first hand account of Howard Carter, the discoverer of the (almost) intact tomb of Tutankhamen, the child Pharao of Egypt. It is told from the heart and the feelings that Howard felt during the initial discovery and subsequent excavation and a personal account. If you have any interest(s) in archaeology, this is a must read book.

Let me finish with this quote from Howard Carter:

For the moment – an eternity it must have seemed to the others standing by – I was struck dumb with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand in suspense any longer, inquired anxiously "Can you see anything?", it was all I could do to get out the words "Yes, wonderful things

And this is what he saw:

Source: https://historiek.net
Profile Image for Bonny.
70 reviews1 follower
December 21, 2015
A great feeling to read this book about the discovery of King Tut's (Tut.Ankh.Amen)'s tomb. So fascinating and satisfying.
Profile Image for Mohamed Amin.
277 reviews44 followers
August 1, 2018
إقرؤا هذا الكتاب كي تعرفوا كم كنا عظماء..كيف حقآ وقف الخلق ينظرون جميعا كيف أبني قواعد المجد وحدي! نظره علي تاريخ وحضارة أمه سبقت جميع الأمم في كل شيء من حبات الخرز التي تزين أصغر قطعه فنيه إلي المقصورات الذهبيه المزينه بالنقوش والرسومات الحيه والتي تجسد حياة ملك عظيم وتاريخ بلد كانت عظيمه ..
فلتقفوا لحظة إجلال وخشوع فأنتم في حضرة جلالة الملك توت عنخ آمون..



إقتباسات

لقد أدركنا بشكل واضح جدآ أن أمامنا عملآ شاقآ وأن هناك آلاف الأطنان من الرديم ينبغي رفعها قبل أن نفكر في العثور علي أي شيء ولكن دائمآ كان لدينا أمل في أنه ربما تكلل جهودنا في النهايه بالعثور علي مقبرة ملك ذو وضع خاص، وأن هذا الملك هو " توت عنخ آمون"
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عند هذه اللحظه فإن الزمن كعامل مؤثر في حياة الإنسان يكون قد فقد معناه، فقد انقضت ثلاثة آلاف عام وربما أربعه منذ أن وطئت قدم إنسان لآخر مره الأرض التي نقف عليها.
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لقد كان المستوي الفني الذي شاهدناه بمثابة إعلان لنا عن الإمكانات غير المشكوك فيها للفن المصري القديم وأدركنا من خلال هذا المسح الأولي السريع أن دراسة هذا الموضوع ستنطوي علي تعديل إن لم يكن إنقلابآ كاملآ في كل أفكارنا القديمه.
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يوجد أمامنا الآن الباب المختوم المغلق وبفتحه نكون قد عبرنا قرونآ من الزمان وأصبحنا نقف قي حضرة ملك كان يحكم منذ ثلاثة آلاف عام، وكان إحساسي الشخصي وأنا أقف فوق المنصه الخشبيه خليطآ غريبآ من المشاعر، وعندئذ وبأيد مرتجفه ضربت أول ضربه.
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Profile Image for Delia.
232 reviews184 followers
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February 25, 2021
Fascinating, if at times a bit tedious and overly detailed, it was very instructive and exciting.
Profile Image for Mike Farrell.
214 reviews2 followers
April 14, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. This is the 1977 republication of Howard Carter's original 1923 publication on his discovery and opening of King Tutenkahem's tomb in Egypt's valley of the king's, timed for the 50 year anniversary of Carter's discovery.

My only objection to this book is that in addition to the original prologue and introduction, there is another introduction that updates the story of Tutenkahem after 50 more years of study; so, the 2 introductions and prologue take up 75 pages before you get to the meat of the story. I admit I skipped the original introduction, which really just a short biography of Lord Cardovan, the person who put up the money for this endeavor.

The actual story begins with a short narrative on the historical context of Egypt at the time of Tutenkahem's reign. This basically tells us what is known of his parentage and his claim to the throne of Egypt. It should be noted that this historical account is not extensive, as that is not the aim of the book.

The story then turns to Carter's efforts in searching for the tomb. All of the archeologists at the time knew King Tutenkahem's tomb was still unaccounted for, but Carter's ability to read the unexplored terrain remaining in th valley of the kings put him in the position to make this find.

The book goes on to describe the actual finding, opening, and documenting of the tomb itself. The descriptions and photographs of the treasures in the tomb, and the time consuming, painstaking efforts required to preserve their findings make for fascinating reading.

As the actual 100 year anniversary of Carter's find approaches, go ahead and relive the excitement of the first hand account of the man who made the discovery.
Profile Image for Walter Mendoza.
30 reviews23 followers
April 22, 2019
This is the Howard Carter's book about the discovery and opening of King Tutenkahem's tomb in Egypt' valley of the king's. He is a great writer, you can read about the problems at the tomb, Carter's emotions as well. I think is an excellent book, I recommend.
53 reviews
January 15, 2022
I picked this book at random from my local library, and I am glad I did so. The narration of the discovery of the tomb and the exploration of the chambers was very exciting. The author goes in detail over the methods used for the preservation and restoration of the historical artifacts, a part of archeological work that is often overlooked in popular culture. The introduction was useful and interesting, especially the parts about the historical evolution of the Valley of Kings and the unsuccessful efforts of the pharaohs to avoid the robbery of their tombs. My favorite part was the opening of the burial chamber and the description of the golden shrines.
Profile Image for Linda.
395 reviews
March 10, 2009
I give this 5 stars.
The book kept me interested throughout. Howard Carter is a really good writer. Maybe a lot of people are burned out on reading about King Tut. Thank goodness I am not. I think everyone should read this because, like someone else says: It's very interesting reading about the discovery of the Pharaoh Tut-Ankh-Amen's tomb.
I liked it a lot!
Profile Image for March.
593 reviews9 followers
May 20, 2023
El año pasado se cumplían 100 del descubrimiento arqueológico que más me había impresionado hasta el momento. Hace poco tuve la suerte de poder ver los objetos en cuestión en una exposición que me dejó sin habla y sin comer (se me olvidó, en serio), pero con ganas de más Egipto. En el momento en que he encontrado este libro en la biblioteca, aderezado con la serie de cuatro capítulos que se hizo sobre él, me he propuesto un sábado temático. Un viaje barato y rápido a Egipto.
Está escrito en primera persona por el propio Carter, que nos hace partícipe del antes, el durante y el después de descubrir la tumba perdida del rey niño.
Tiene nombres, datos, nombres… es una labor de investigación asombrosa, pero como lectura es algo pesada, mi secreto ha sido buscar las cosas de las que hablaba y ver las imágenes, está todo documentado. Me ha llamado mucho la atención el curso acelerado de conservación de objetos que viene en uno de los capítulos, pero supongo que, desgraciadamente, no podré nunca llevar a cabo mis nuevos conocimientos.
No me puedo imaginar la sensación de ser de las primeras personas en entrar en una tumba desconocida y cerrada hace más de 3000 años, pero con recordar mis sensaciones al entrar en las pirámides de Giza mucho tiempo después, como una turista más, y multiplicarlo por miles, me hago una imagen de lo que pudo ser.
No estoy de acuerdo con el expolio al que se ha sometido a este gran país, pero también es cierto que si no se llevara rápidamente todos estos objetos maravillosos a un museo, no quedarían ni las uñas de los pies, gracias al saqueo continuo de los propios ciudadanos.
Es un testimonio interesante y único que aconsejo a cualquier amante de la arqueología o los egipcios.
Desde luego, yo me considero dentro de la segunda categoría. Algunos de mis amigos me han llegado a decir que en otra vida tuve que ser egipcia, porque siempre siento una fascinación ilógica. Tengo el enorme honor de vivir cerca del templo de Debod, que visito en cuanto tengo un hueco libre y me sigue dejando sin respiración y con el corazón henchido una y otra vez.
Profile Image for James Zaworski.
25 reviews27 followers
October 25, 2022
The first person account of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun was written by the discoverer himself, Howard Carter. The riveting and ageless account of Carter and Lord Carnarvon standing there as Carter cuts a hole into the sealed antechamber of the tomb, hot air escapes the chamber which was sealed for 3,000 years and Carter could see "gold, everywhere the glint of gold". Gazing upon the gilded couches with lion and hippo heads, laden with funerary items, statues and statuettes, a chariot, garlands of flowers, Carter stood speechless as Carnarvon, unable to endure the suspense any longer asks Carter if he sees anything, to which Carter replies "Wonderful things!".

This is a great book to start with if you are beginning your fascination with the boy king and his fabulous tomb. More than 5,000 objects were discovered in the largely intact tomb (it had been pillaged once or twice in antiquity). The book is very readable and the descriptions of the objects discovered are interesting and the way Carter had to jerry-rig a system of levers and pulleys to open the nested shrines in the burial chamber, and then to lift each of the mummiform coffins one by one until he gazed upon the golden mask, and finally on Tut's face itself.

We are coming up on the centennial of the discovery of the tomb and this book is a great introduction.
Profile Image for Tyler Wall.
7 reviews
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December 21, 2023
You know, what's most fascinating is his account of the opening of the tomb vs. his field notes. Its easy to read from a distance and pick apart the differences and come to wild theories and conclusions but there are so many factors at play to understand. One, is the immediate rush he was feeling as the tomb was opened, while not knowing how this will play out in the world. He knew it was big as he turned from a post in his diary that would read "two donkeys" to an almost poetic description of the tomb the day it was opened. Then you have understand that after the newspapers got ahold of this story where it spiraled into a sensation. When he published this account of the opening of the tomb, he further embellished on the story. Comparing the evidence of the day it was found, to the story of lore that it is today, its good for the economy. Its good for the people of Egypt. And its good for Egypt's relationship with the western world in a time where politics are tough. Its gone through many years of magical Ancient Egyptian media and movies that the picture in our heads of the glittering-with-gold fantasy world of Ancient Egypt is fun to think about, but not the reality.
195 reviews9 followers
October 2, 2021
Exciting book about the discovery and first season of excavation of King Tutankhamen's tomb.

Carter goes into detail describing the layout of the steps, first hall, antechamber and all contents therein. He provides a short introductory background into the Valley of Kings and the reasons he had for suspecting that King Tut's tomb was where he found it. It's filled with treasures but he meticulously catalogues each item. You share in Carter's excitement and reverence as he uncovers a burial site untouched for over 3,000 years, noting that the last person who was inside left a lamp to burn out and his fingerprint on the clay seal binding the door. He reconstructs a break-in which occurred within 15 years of King Tut's burial. From the physical evidence alone, he shows how the thieves were caught and the items subsequently restored to the tomb.

It's an awe inspiring book and gives me more appreciation for how important the King Tut discovery was.
Profile Image for John.
332 reviews3 followers
May 18, 2018
Howard Carter’s book was as expected. A book written by an archeologist that had a difficult time expressing the emotional state and wonderment that he was in when he discovered the tomb and saw the artifacts. The book was a bland recount of what happened. It was about like we punched a hole in the entrance and saw a gold wall. There were things inside. He did however describe the objects with a lack luster demeanor even though he made a few statements letting the reader know that it was dazzling. What Carter failed to express in written form was somewhat vindicated by the photographs, but unfortunately the were all in black-and-white and
the relics of gold were less impressive as the appeared as stone object. The book was worth reading despite all the shortcomings for anyone enamored with Tutankhamen and Ancient Egypt.
19 reviews
April 29, 2025
Never really engages the reader, poor order of writing. The author delivers more of a biography on his emotions, its an archeologist's book, I however was more interested in implications, I was told the discovery of the tomb had wider implications, I was interested in understanding this but the book fails to even touch on this. It feels like a book saying "The author is great, the author went through all this. Praise the author" while not considering to widen the scope.


Author brings attention to some important considerations about archeology and archeologists, however the author delivers the points with a sense of superiority. The author also fails to understand wider picture and economics involved.


Profile Image for Mosa Fée.
15 reviews
September 22, 2025
I heard about this tomb and discovery on a podcast and was curious about the "malediction" and everything about it. When I look into my library to see if there was anything about it, I was quite delighted to see there was this book of Howard Carter, the archeologist who discovers the tomb. Having study archeology in University, this book reminds me of my classes. It was really interesting, even if short, about the methods of and really well describing everything, what happened, the hypothesis and everything.

If you are curious, this book is well documented and was written by an archeologist who explains his work and everthing. Really easy to read, even when you don't know anything about archeology.
Profile Image for ℳatthieu.
385 reviews14 followers
July 24, 2019
Carter relate - assez succinctement finalement - la découverte, en 1922, de la tombe de Toutânkhamon étape par étape. Les premières pages du livre sont un peu difficiles à suivre pour les non égyptologues. Rien de dramatique, après quelques recherches sur Internet on situe correctement les périodes, lieux et vocabulaire.
C'est intéressant à lire, mais j'aurais aimé une version « augmentée » avec :
- des illustrations et des photos (il n'y a que le plan de l'hypogée dans mon édition libretto)
- des commentaires actuels de scientifiques (recul presque un siècle après)
La page wikipédia du pharaon possède déjà quelques informations intéressantes.
Profile Image for Alessandra Gutierrez.
31 reviews
May 12, 2020
Fascinating account of the greatest Egyptian archaeological find by the man himself who discovered it! Loved the intro biography of Lord Carnavaron, who was the benefactor of Howard Carter who discovered the tomb. Their friendship and collaboration is inspiring - - two great men who loved adventure, exploration, and respected the past! Howard Carter writes with such enthusiastic detail, that I felt as if I was there with him, seeing all the “wonderful things,” when the tomb was opened and explored.
Must read this before you read any other literature or research about this topic!!
Profile Image for Dave Taylor.
Author 49 books36 followers
December 4, 2022
When Howard Carter famously discovered the tomb of boy king Tutankhamen, it was one of the most important and profound discoveries in all of archeology. But what was the actual experience like for a gifted amateur Egyptologist and archeologist? This is his actual journal from the era and includes lots of interesting details about the care required to preserve the hundreds of pieces found, along with some complaining about the politics of the situation, particularly how to deal with the endless parade of important visitors who wanted to see and be seen at the site of the dig.
Profile Image for Nicholas Finch.
Author 2 books14 followers
June 14, 2021
The Pharaohs wanted immortality, and considering their fame so many centuries after their deaths, they totally got what they sought!

And this virtually forgotten young King is now the most famous of them all!

This is a stunning and often forgotten read (though only part 1 of the whole saga as penned by Howard Carter) and is well worth the time to study, especially if one comes at it with awe and without judgement.

Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Alina.
169 reviews
February 20, 2023
Ouvrage intéressant pour les amateurs d’archéologie. Howard Carter décrit en termes évocatifs le processus qui a mené à la découverte de la tombe de Toutankhamon, ainsi que les techniques utilisées pour répertorier, cataloguer, et préserver le trésor. C’est étonnant de constater combien de travail nécessite réellement une fouille. Il ne s’agit pas d’uniquement arriver sur place et se mettre à creuser: il faut premièrement savoir creuser de la bonne façon!
Profile Image for Elsa.
132 reviews6 followers
August 28, 2024
This is a heavy book, full of lists and extremely detailed descriptions. The author is very meticulous. His passion and dedication are clearly evident in every page, which is commendable. I greatly admire Carter's commitment and his being an expert in his field. There are many things I enjoyed learning, and Carter was able to skillfully create touching atmospheres, so all in all I'm glad I finished reading this book. That said, I can't deny that it's too heavy for me.
Profile Image for Sherri.
215 reviews
July 7, 2022
This was slow going for me. Written in 1923, it really only covers the finding of the tomb (which doesn’t happen until halfway through the book) and the clearing out of the antechamber. It is slow, laborious work and this made for slow reading. I assume people in 1923 were far more patient than we are now.
Profile Image for Susan Ferguson.
1,078 reviews21 followers
April 6, 2023
Story of the first season of the discovery of the tomb. The thrill of discovery when hope was almost given up on a discovery. Then the initial discovery and exploration, the problems with press and visitors and the security problems. Then the wonders discovered and the problems in recovery and preservation. This is only a preview and the first season.
85 reviews
June 3, 2023
Plus sympa à lire que l'écrit d'Agatha Christie sur le même sujet. Accessible à tous car très bien présenté. Des remarques et anecdotes sympas sur le métier d'archéologue. J'ai trouvé ça drôle par moment car ce sont des sujets qui me plaisent tout particulièrement (protection des œuvres, chasse au trésor, transmission du savoir,...)
Profile Image for Barno.
62 reviews
July 15, 2024
Somewhat boring.
I picked up the book because it was huge and it was not fun reading it with all the bureaucracy described within . People at offices at the government never let us people enjoy life and discover what was there before us .
Mr. Carter could have done more if it wasn't for bureaucracy.
Profile Image for Connie Brown.
10 reviews1 follower
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September 9, 2019
Read this book to assist my grandson with his homework. I am trying to get him interested in something other than Fortnite. The book was informative and provided the information that he needed for his book report.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews

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