Exhibition Texts
A journey through the life, death, and rediscovery of Egypt's most famous Pharaoh
The forgotten Pharaoh — and the era that shaped him
Ancient Egypt reached its peak of wealth and splendour under Tutankhamun's grandparents, Pharaoh Amenhotep III and his consort Tiye. But far-reaching changes, driven by the royal family, were already on the horizon — changes that would shake Egypt to the core.
In 2021, former Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass announced the discovery of a remarkably well-preserved ancient city in Luxor/Western Thebes, dating back to the reign of Amenhotep III. The city was historically called The Dazzling (God) Aten, named after a deity who would play a key role in the transformation Egypt was about to undergo. Shaped by ancient artisans, the city is most historically significant in documenting the transition to the Amarna Period.
Amenhotep IV, son of Amenhotep III, probably abandoned the city — taking its artisans with him — when he decided to leave Thebes and build a new residence in Amarna, having retitled himself as Akhenaten ("effective for Aten"). Houses and workshops alike were shuttered, their doorways walled up.
After changing his name, Akhenaten launched a revolution with an iconoclasm. He had himself and his consort Nefertiti depicted in temples and on stelae as standing under the rays of the sun god Aten — the only god he allowed to be worshipped. Temples honouring other gods were shut down; the name of Amun was chiselled off statues. Ousting Amun also meant seizing power from his priests — a radical break with tradition that created chaos in Egyptian society.
According to the Restoration Stela Tutankhamun built in Karnak Temple, "the gods had turned their backs on the land of Egypt." Tutankhamun, then named Tutankhaten, came to the throne at around eight years of age. Retitling himself was a clear declaration: his reign signalled a return to tradition and the ancient cult of Amun. He married Ankhesenamun, daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti; restored temples; and launched new building projects. Far from an insignificant boy Pharaoh, Tutankhamun set the stage for a new era of stability and prosperity.
"The gods had turned their backs on the land of Egypt."
— The Restoration Stela of Tutankhamun, Karnak TempleThe names of all Amarna Period Pharaohs were scrubbed from the annals of history by Horemheb, and Tutankhamun was no exception. DNA tests on mummies point to his father being buried in tomb KV55 — Hawass believes this mummy is Akhenaten, though Smenkhkare has also been suggested. His mother has been identified as the mummy known as the Younger Lady from tomb KV35, but her true identity remains unknown. Inscriptions on grave goods from Tutankhamun's tomb also suggest that some of his treasure was originally intended for someone else.
Tutankhamun's early death was the end of the 18th Dynasty's bloodline. His successors Ay and Horemheb came from more common backgrounds. Construction of a tomb had started in the West Valley but was incomplete at his death; he was buried in a small, hastily adapted tomb in the main East Valley of the Kings. This turned out to be a stroke of luck — the tomb was buried ever deeper under rubble and lay forgotten for more than 3,000 years until Howard Carter found it in 1922: a rediscovery not just of the tomb, but of the long-forgotten Pharaoh himself and his unparalleled treasure.
All fertile land in Egypt is a gift of the Nile. The Pharaohs recognised the significance of the river to humankind, and the Nile was revered as a god. Until the construction of the great dams at Aswan, cultivation was only possible after the inundation in autumn. Nowadays, water is available all year round, but because the Nile no longer floods the fields, artificial fertilisers are needed to replace the fertile alluvial mud. The old, picturesque irrigation equipment still survives in places.
Vivacious images from tomb chambers bear witness to plants and animals that were once far more diverse. The main contributory factor in their decline has been intensive farming. Monocultures of wheat, sugar cane and cotton have dominated since the 19th century. The original abundance of plant and animal species — especially birds — is only evident in a few remote places now.
Land, people, monuments, and the long arc of history
Egypt is a land with unique characteristics. The annual flooding of the Nile flowing through its fertile valley, the harmonious path of the sun bearing down, the sharp contrast between farmland, mountains and hostile desert to the east and west — all shaped the character of the Pharaohs' kingdom from its inception. These natural characteristics gave rise to an extraordinary civilisation and the harmony and beauty of its inimitable art.
Egypt's deserts are not just seas of pure sand. Both banks of the Nile Valley are surrounded by mountains with bizarre rock formations. Even in ancient times people searched them for deposits of valuable gold and rare hard stone for the Pharaohs' sculptors. Although it seldom rains, life exists especially in the dry wadis: insects, snakes and small rodents, all adapted to survive under the harshest conditions.
Egyptian temple architecture is a mythical portrayal of the cosmos. Each temple represents the primordial hill on which creation began and the sun god first appeared. Under the kings of the 18th Dynasty, the complex of Karnak rose to become the largest and most influential religious centre in Egypt. In later times, Egyptian Pharaohs, Greek Ptolemaic rulers and even Roman emperors extended the older temples and built new ones.
Despite numerous foreign invaders, the Ancient Egyptians live on in the inhabitants of the country. Although the influence of modern technology can be felt everywhere today, in some places time seems to have stood still. Some fields are still cultivated as they were in the time of the Pharaohs, and the bustle of the markets and bazaars hints at the world of A Thousand and One Nights. The rhythm of the Nile is profoundly ingrained in the people who live by it — a proverbial oriental placidity and acceptance of fate that eases people's lives.
By the beginning of the 3rd millennium B.C., kings such as Narmer and Menes had united the Upper Egyptian Nile Valley with the Lower Egyptian Delta. A well-organised state was established and governed by the Pharaohs as divine rulers. These factors enabled the powerful kings of the Old Kingdom — Djoser, Khufu, Khafra and Menkaura — to build their awe-inspiring pyramids in the middle of the third millennium before Christ.
Groups of people settle across Upper and Lower Egypt, living mainly from fishing, cattle rearing and farming. Around 3000 B.C., the two regions are united into a central state, an achievement attributed to King Menes (Hor Aha). A system of writing is developed. The standard of craftsmanship in stone and ceramic vessels is already very high.
At Saqqara, King Djoser commissions the first funerary complex in stone — its centre formed by the stepped pyramid, precursor of the pyramid proper. Monumental architecture reaches its peak with the three Giza pyramids. The sun god Ra increases in importance during the 5th Dynasty. King Unas is the first ruler to have his pyramid inscribed with Pyramid Texts. Towards the end of the 6th Dynasty, the centralised state falls apart.
After the collapse of central authority, provincial rulers battle for power. The First Intermediate Period is remembered as an era of chaos. King Mentuhotep from Thebes finally reunites the country in 2025 B.C. During the 12th Dynasty, Egyptian culture flourishes greatly under a series of kings named Amenemhat and Sesostris. Later generations see this period as 'classical' and attempt to build on this golden age.
Foreign chieftains from the Near East, known as the Hyksos ("rulers of foreign lands"), establish themselves as kings of Egypt. The Theban ruling house (17th Dynasty) defeats them and reunification firmly establishes Amun-Ra. In Queen Hatshepsut, a woman accedes to the throne of the Pharaohs. Under Tuthmosis III, Egypt rises to world power. Stability and a gigantic building programme characterise the reign of Amenhotep III. Under Akhenaten, a religious revolution leads to a crisis of succession. At the end of the Amarna Period, Tutankhamun ascends the throne and Egypt returns to its traditional religion.
High priests of Amun at Thebes administrate Upper Egypt in the name of the god. Power struggles of Libyan princely families in the Delta are followed by a cultural renaissance under Nubian kings (25th Dynasty) and conquest by Assyria. The 26th Dynasty marks the last burgeoning of culture under native rulers. In 525 B.C. Egypt is conquered by the Persians. The 30th Dynasty is distinguished by outstanding artistic achievements before a renewed Persian assault ends indigenous Pharaonic rule.
In 332 B.C. Alexander the Great defeats the Persians and conquers Egypt. After his death, Ptolemy, one of his Macedonian generals, takes the throne and founds the Ptolemaic dynasty. The great temple edifices of Edfu, Philae, Kom Ombo and Dendera are erected. Alexandria becomes the cultural and economic centre of the eastern Mediterranean. Augustus' victory over Cleopatra at Actium in 31 B.C. brings Egyptian independence to an end and the country becomes a Roman province.
Southern Egypt was home to Thebes of the Hundred Gates — a splendid city of great religious and political significance. Enormous temples were dedicated to the god Amun, sphinx-lined processional routes crossed the city, and the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom built their spectacular palaces. Across from the ancient city (modern-day Luxor), an immense necropolis was built on the west banks of the Nile. Known today as the Valley of the Kings, this secluded desert valley is concealed between the west Theban Hills. Towering over it is a pyramid-shaped mountain peak, once revered as sacred and honoured with the name She who loves silence.
It was presumably Queen Hatshepsut who ordered the first burial chambers erected here at the beginning of the 18th Dynasty, around 1470 B.C. It then served as a cemetery for the Pharaohs for another 400 years. Only a select few non-royals — deserving officials and royal wet nurses — received the honour of burial in the royal cemetery.
The first tombs were hidden in clefts in the mountainside; later ones were built with large entrances. Unlike tombs for high officials, the paintings in royal tombs portray not scenes of daily life but texts and images associated with the divine world of the afterlife. The entire decoration was dedicated to ensuring the Pharaoh was accepted into the world of the gods and to help him overcome the dangers of the underworld.
The Amduat describes the journey of the Sun God through the twelve hours of the night along the Nile of the underworld. The Book of Gates explains the dangers of each gate between the hours of the night.
A group of specialised artisans were responsible for building and decorating the Kings' tombs, living in a settlement at Deir el-Medina. Divided into two groups — one for each half of the King's tomb — they chiselled chambers from soft limestone, smoothed and plastered the walls, and carried out all painting work. The first known strike in world history took place in West Thebes during the reign of Ramesses III, when the workers' food rations were not delivered.
Just weeks after a funeral, grave robbers were already at work. The 'Tomb Robber Papyri' — court records from the Ramesside period — demonstrate clearly the extent to which the robberies preoccupied the bureaucrats of antiquity. Ironically, this ancient plundering ultimately saved many royal mummies: when raids could no longer be stopped, mummies were moved to collective hiding places where they lay undisturbed until the 19th century.
Around 1650 BC, local chieftains from Asia gained control over Egypt. Known as the Hyksos — from an Egyptian expression meaning 'rulers of foreign lands' — they were the first foreign kings of the Nile. The local nobility from Thebes, led by prince Seqenenre, fought for liberation. The final victory was achieved by King Ahmose, founder of the 18th Dynasty and forefather of the Theban ruling family whose last representative was Tutankhamun, approximately 220 years later.
After the death of her half-brother and husband Tuthmosis II, Hatshepsut became regent, then governed as Pharaoh — depicted in monuments with a man's kilt and ceremonial beard. Arts and culture flourished under her rule. Her mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari remains one of Egypt's most remarkable buildings. Following her death, Tuthmosis III ordered her monuments destroyed to erase all memory of this unusual ruler.
Battles and conquests dominated the politics of Tuthmosis III. Weeks after becoming king, he defeated the Syrian lords at the Battle of Megiddo. Military campaigns to Asia Minor took place nearly every year for twenty years. Building activities across the country reached their highpoint in the Temple of Amun at Karnak. Under his rule, Egypt rose to world power status and he is regarded as one of the most significant rulers of Ancient Egypt.
Three busts are displayed. Amenhotep III with the blue crown and his unmistakeable almond eyes — his reign characterised by Egypt's flourishing. His son Akhenaten, in the expressive Amarna style, who revolutionised religion, state, and art. And young Tutankhamun, shown under the protecting hand of Amun — a clear declaration that the god had been restored to his rightful place.
The text engraved upon the Rosetta Stone in three scripts is a decree issued by the Ptolemaic era priesthood in 196 B.C. The stone was found in the Nile delta by Napoleon's troops in 1799 and played a decisive role in the deciphering of ancient Egyptian writing. In 1822 the Frenchman Jean-François Champollion finally succeeded in translating the hieroglyphs. The original is held in the British Museum, London.
The upper inscription is written in Egyptian hieroglyphics; the centre in Late Egyptian Demotic common script; the bottom in Greek, which was the starting point for translation. The word "hieroglyphics" comes from Greek and means "holy engravings." Research has shown that the first written symbols in the Nile valley had already begun to develop in pre-dynastic times, around the middle of the 4th millennium B.C.
Champollion discovered that names of kings were written in ovals — so-called cartouches. Beginning with the cartouche of Ptolemy on the Rosetta Stone, he recognised characters that also appeared in Cleopatra's name on an obelisk at Philae: Cleopatra's name had to begin with a "C" (or "K"); Ptolemy, or "Ptolemaeus", had to begin with a "P" and end in an "S". Over years of study, comparing documents symbol for symbol, Champollion deciphered the entire writing system.
The discovery that changed archaeology — and the man who made it
Even as a child, Howard Carter was fascinated by the relics of Ancient Egypt. He left England in 1891 at the age of 17 to work as an archaeological draughtsman and excavator. In January 1900, the self-taught young man accepted a position as Inspector General of Monuments in Upper Egypt and made his first important discoveries in the Valley of the Kings.
Carter was appointed Inspector General in Lower Egypt at the end of 1904. After a diplomatic dispute broke out following an argument with a group of French tourists, Carter resigned from his job and had to scrape a living as a tour guide, draughtsman and antiquities dealer in Egypt. At about the same time, the well-off and highly educated Lord Carnarvon arrived in Egypt to convalesce from a serious car accident. The nobleman was looking for an experienced excavator — and fate brought the two men together.
During his time as a tour guide, Carter learned that an excavation team led by Theodore Davis had discovered the first artefacts bearing Tutankhamun's name in the Valley, as well as a plundered burrow. Davis declared there was nothing left to find. Carter disagreed, and became obsessed with continuing the search. In 1914, Lord Carnarvon took over Davis' excavation licence and the search began.
After five long years of searching in vain, Carnarvon wanted to stop funding the expedition — but agreed to fund one last attempt. On 4 November 1922, Carter finally discovered the first step to the entrance of a sealed tomb. At the end of that month, Carter together with Lord Carnarvon and his young daughter Lady Evelyn opened the tomb and saw "wonderful things" that no person had set eyes on since the time of the Pharaohs.
"Wonderful things."
— Howard Carter, November 1922, on first peering into Tutankhamun's tombJust weeks after the discovery, Carnarvon was bitten by a poisonous mosquito and died from the resulting infection — helping revive the myth of the "Curse of the Pharaohs." A subsequent dispute with Egyptian authorities caused Carter to abandon the site for one year. He returned and continued, compiling thousands of meticulous reference cards. Over 2,800 top-quality glass negatives by photographer Harry Burton document the original arrangement of artefacts and every step of the excavators' work. Carter died on 2 March 1939, never having received the recognition he deserved.
Besides Carter's drawings and sketches, hundreds of pin-sharp black-and-white photographs by excavation photographer Harry Burton survive. Burton, working for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, combined the keen eye of a scientific archaeologist with that of an artistic photographer — having trained in Florence, he set completely new standards in archaeological photography. Photographs by Carter, Carnarvon and unknown photographers also exist; while not of the same quality, they have tremendous documentary value.
In 2015, Semmel Exhibitions compiled a series of photos for colourisation from the stock held at the Griffith Institute in Oxford. These colourised images are now an integral part of the Griffith Institute's digital inventory, which also includes Howard Carter's scientific legacy. In 2022 a second series was added, creating a complete picture of the work on Tutankhamun's tomb — in colour.
The search for Tutankhamun's tomb began in 1917 with an exploratory dig near tomb KV 8, the tomb of King Merenptah. What Carter didn't know was that during this dig, he was working just a few metres away from where Tutankhamun's tomb would be discovered five years later.
The so-called "clothes bust" (Carter No. 116), bearing the likeness of Tutankhamun, is carried by an Egyptian worker — photographed from a perspective in which it appears to be walking on its own two feet. Howard Carter (in front) escorts the bust to the laboratory while Lord Carnarvon sits on a wall. To Carnarvon's right is Arthur Weigall — considered one of the inventors of the "Curse of the Pharaoh."
Carter and his colleague Arthur Callender, with an Egyptian helper, pack up one of the two guardian statues (Carter No. 022) so that it can be taken to the laboratory in the tomb of Seti II for conservation. The two statues were found facing each other by the sealed entrance to the burial chamber.
Harry Burton captured one of those moments that deeply moved Howard Carter. The team has just opened the magnificent second coffin. In front are the tools just used; behind the two men are the ropes used to lift the coffin. Carter and an Egyptian assistant are seen examining the innermost coffin (Carter No. 255) — made of solid gold and weighing around 110 kg, the most significant coffin ever discovered in Egypt.
The heavy second coffin (Carter No. 254) was salvaged using a specially made system of pulleys. After opening the coffin lid, Howard Carter discovered a third, innermost coffin made of solid gold — which explained the enormous weight of the ensemble. The four golden shrines, together with the inner coffins, form a mechanism to enable the resurrection of the King as the sun in the afterlife: the brilliance of gold is an image of the sun god Re, with whom Tutankhamun unites in eternal life.
The seals of the inner shrines signalled to Howard Carter that Tutankhamun's mummy had remained untouched by tomb robbers. This clay seal of the necropolis administration — showing impressions of African and Asiatic prisoners and more than 3,300 years old — is affixed to the cord that held the doors of the third inner shrine closed.
One of the most exciting moments during the recovery of treasures was the opening of the large shrines in Tutankhamun's burial chamber, some of which were still sealed. Here Howard Carter (kneeling), Arthur Callender and an Egyptian worker are discovering the quartzite sarcophagus behind the four gilded shrine doors.
After recovering objects from the antechamber and removing the partition wall to the burial chamber, the dismantling of the large shrines could finally begin. Carter No. 207: the outer shrine in its original position.
The Ancient Egyptians intended to live forever in their tombs. The dead were furnished with everything that had made their time on earth comfortable. Even paintings and reliefs with vivid images of people tending the land, applying their craft or hunting — which offer us glimpses of daily life — sprang from the cult of the dead and were directed at the life in the hereafter: the deceased were not to want for anything in the afterlife.
A sealed world — and the paintings that open it
Behind the bed of the hippopotamus goddess in the antechamber, Carter discovered a small, irregular hole in a sealed entrance leading to a small, lower side chamber. The hole was no doubt the work of robbers, and their plundering left the chamber in a disastrous state.
Originally the annex served as a storeroom. The excavators found faience and alabaster vessels with traces of exquisite perfume oils, as well as weapons, other vessels and furnishings — including beds with carved animal feet and a mesh of woven cords still seen in use in Sudan today.
Repaired seals on the first door proved to Carter that the robberies occurred very soon after the burial. The forced hidden entrance to the annex implies the robbers were familiar with the tomb's layout.
After the first break-in, the corridor was completely filled with stones and rubble. The next thieves tunnelled through. Priests attempted to clear the chaos in the antechamber and closed all walls except the opening to the side chamber. Everything else remained as the thieves had left it. We will never know what magnificent treasures they managed to steal.
The eastern wall shows the transportation of the royal coffin with the mummy of Tutankhamun. The sledge is drawn by twelve important dignitaries. Among them is a group known as the 'nine friends' who walk in front of two bald-headed viziers dressed in their official robes. The figure at the rear is most likely the famous generalissimo, and later King, Horemheb. This funerary procession is the first example in a royal tomb of a depiction from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which was used in the non-royal funerary cult.
The funerary procession leads directly to the north wall. The high priest Ay, depicted here as 'son', ritually opens the mouth of the dead pharaoh, so that he may have use of his senses again in the afterlife. According to the inscription, Ay is already king and thus successor to Tutankhamun. The following scene shows Tutankhamun with a staff, and without the mummy's bindings, before the sky goddess Nut, who is performing the nini gesture. In the last scene Tutankhamun, followed by his immortal ka force, stands before Osiris, the god of resurrection.
The murals on the west wall portray a passage from the first hour of the Amduat, a royal book of the underworld. Twelve squatting baboons welcome the sun barque to the underworld. In the sun barque at the top, a scarab — symbol of the morning sun which rejuvenated itself during the night. The inscription in red is a secret encryption of the text.
The king can be seen between two deities: the god of death Anubis and the goddess of the heavens and the underworld Hathor. Originally, the picture to the left of Anubis extended further to show the goddess Isis performing the nini gesture with three identical gods of the underworld squatting behind her. This section had to be broken off when the large shrines were removed from the burial chamber. Small plastered niches carved into all four walls hold the so-called magic bricks, bearing small figures of gods to protect the dead.
Servants for eternity — and a century of scientific investigation
The funerary figurines later referred to as ushabtis (meaning "the ones who answer") were originally figurative representations of a person buried according to custom. The shabtis were intended to release the deceased from the obligation to work in the fields in the underworld — a duty theoretically required of everyone, including the King. Just like his subjects, Tutankhamun had substitute figurines made who would undertake unpleasant tasks in his place. They tend to hold a hand plough in folded hands and carry a bag of seed over the left shoulder. A shabti is therefore both a servant and an embodiment of the deceased.
The investigation of Tutankhamun's mummy spans a century of science — from an initial autopsy performed with the body still fused to its coffin, through successive X-rays and CT scans, to modern DNA analysis. The cause of death has never been definitively established.
Howard Carter begins opening the three inner coffins.
The troughs of the two innermost coffins and the mummy were firmly bonded together — embalming oils had hardened over 3,000 years, blackening the linen bandages. All attempts to remove the mummy from the innermost gold coffin initially failed.
Dr Douglas Derry and Dr Saleh Bey Hamdi perform the first autopsy while the mummy with the gold mask remains glued to the coffin "with rock-hard resin." The doctors detect an approximate age of death of about eighteen years but find no cause of death.
The first X-rays are made by Dr Ronald G. Harrison of Liverpool University; further ones a decade later by Dr James E. Harris of the University of Michigan. Radiologists notice splinters of bone on the inside of the skull, giving rise to suspicions about a violent death.
Based on X-ray results, Egyptologist Bob Brier suggests a treacherous attack by someone close to the King, suspicion falling on his two successors — especially Ay.
A team of international specialists using modern computer tomography generates over 1,700 images in just 15 minutes. A head injury during his lifetime could not be confirmed. A serious knee injury that may have been caused by a fall was detected — a liquid used during embalming had penetrated the fracture gap, indicating the wound predated death. The large wound could have triggered a fatal infection or embolism.
Studies by the National Research Center in Cairo, the Ancient DNA Laboratory in Cairo, and the Institute of Human Genetics at Tübingen reveal that Tutankhamun was infected with the malaria parasite — though malaria can probably be ruled out as acute cause of death, since the Egyptian population was already immunised. Bone diseases in the left foot (including Köhler II syndrome) were not necessarily fatal either. The male mummy in KV 55 is identified as the King's father; the "Younger Lady" from KV 35 as his mother. DNA analysis indicates they were siblings.
Dr Chris Naunton from the Egypt Exploration Society suggests an autoignition of the linen wrappings may have occurred after the burial due to a chemical reaction in the embalming oils. He also proposes that Tutankhamun may have fallen from his chariot and had his upper body run over by a wheel — accounting for the separated ribs.
3,300 years of silence — then gold
Since the innermost coffin had been liberally doused with essences that turned to resin, it fused with the middle coffin and had to be prised apart by Carter. The coffin is made almost entirely of pure gold apart from a few inlays, weighing 110.4 kilograms. This alone makes it the most impressive find in Egyptian archaeology. When discovered, chains made of glass and gold discs encircled the neck of the coffin.
The inner coffin contained the mummy, covered with the mask and mummy-trappings. The essences poured over it caused the mummy to fuse with the base of the coffin; parts had to be cut loose. Tutankhamun had been mummified in the traditional manner: the entrails were removed, the nostrils and lips sealed with resin, the lower arms laid parallel on the body, the head shaved, and resin poured into the empty skull after removal of the brain. Tutankhamun's height corresponded exactly to that of the two figures standing guard outside the tomb chamber.
The face of the wrapped mummy was concealed under the distinctive gold mask. It represents the King with a complexion of gold and forms his imperishable "surrogate face." As in the two inner coffins, the mask wears the royal headdress. The back of the gold mask bears the spell "for the secret head" from the Book of the Dead, which first addresses the mask itself with the words "Greetings, beautiful face", then refers to the mummy as a whole.
Cartonnage masks begin appearing for private individuals shortly after the end of the Old Kingdom (about 2100 B.C.). Unlike the royal face masks, those of private individuals wear a tripartite wig rather than the royal headdress. Mummy masks remained popular until the Graeco-Roman Period. Particularly well-known are the fine examples of Tutankhamun's great-grandparents, Yuya and Tjuyu.
Directly under the mask, a scarab beetle coated with resin lay on the mummy's breast, flanked by two hands of polished gold sheeting — crossed underneath it, sewn onto the mummy's bindings, holding insignia whose wooden parts have since disappeared. Under the hands, a ba bird with a human head spread its wings, representing the part of the person living on in the afterlife, free to move and reunite with the mummy at any time. Four horizontal and one vertical stripes in gold sheeting with inlaid texts imitate the bandages binding the shroud.
The bandages were undone layer after layer, revealing 150 separate pieces in total. Countless amulets in several layers were strung around the neck. The breast was overlaid with collars in vulture, falcon and winged serpent form, as well as heavy pectorals. The lower arms were ringed with close rows of bracelets. Two daggers lay on the lower body, along with circlets and more bird-shaped collars. This adornment, distributed over the mummy according to a fixed pattern, was designed to protect the body and individual organs.
War and hunting were a duty for the Pharaoh — fighting Egypt's enemies and killing wild animals were equated with the fight against chaos. Although there is no evidence that Tutankhamun personally took part in any military campaigns, he is presented as victorious commander-in-chief in accordance with the Egyptian ideological view of the sovereign. His tomb is equipped with all the weaponry required, wonderfully decorated and of the highest quality.
Returning and non-returning boomerangs and throwing sticks were used to hunt birds — viewed as both a royal pastime and a mythological act: the destruction of enemies. The tomb contains four serviceable solid shields (animal skins stretched over frames), four gilded ceremonial ones, thirteen clubs, two khepesh-swords (one child-sized), and two finely worked daggers found on the mummy. The daggers, clubs, shields and bows are found not only as royal burial objects but also in the burials of high officials.
With Tutankhamun's death, the bloodline of the 17th and 18th Dynasty came to a tragic end. His two children were buried with him: one was stillborn, the other died at birth. A box in the treasure chamber contained two outer coffins wrapped in linen, each holding another coffin inside. The inscriptions bear only the general insignia of 'Osiris' for 'deceased', without specific names.
The first inner coffin held the tiny body of a five-month-old foetus, wrapped like a mummy and wearing a mask of gilded cartonnage several sizes too large. The second held the fully mummified body of a newborn baby girl who died during or shortly after birth — the umbilical cord had not yet dried. The corresponding mask was found in a pit discovered in 1907 by Davis in the Valley of the Kings. Tutankhamun's tomb is thus, strictly speaking, a three-person tomb.
The extraction of internal organs was the first step in mummification. Since the organs remained important for continued existence even outside the body, they were buried separately in four canopic jars from the Pyramid Age onwards. The four organs — lungs, spleen, liver and intestines — each received a protective deity. The four goddesses Isis, Nephthys, Selket and Neith undertook their protection.
For Tutankhamun, four exquisite small gold coffins inlaid with glass and carnelian were made as receptacles for the internal organs and inserted into the recesses of an alabaster shrine. This stood under a chapel-like canopy guarded on its four sides by the four protective goddesses. The whole ensemble, called "the secret", was in turn watched over by the god Anubis on the supporting shrine. The Egyptians later used canopic coffins only occasionally, giving this ensemble special significance.
The shrine, built in the form of an Upper Egyptian chapel, contains an empty pedestal with a back pillar on which sunken footprints indicate the presence of a god — consciously suggested as invisible rather than represented by a statuette. The shrine is embellished with eighteen scenes in which the Queen performs various activities on behalf of the King: assisting at a bird hunt, handing him a sistrum and drinking bowl, fastening a floral collar around his neck, anointing her husband, and giving him a palm risp as a symbol of his eternal reign.
The scenes can be interpreted on multiple levels. Although they appear to portray intimate moments, the Queen's actions resemble those of a priest in a ceremonial scene. Even the bird hunt carries mythological resonance: the symbolic destruction of the King's enemies. Tutankhamun has already taken on the status of a god in the afterlife.
In the treasury Carter found large numbers of shrines, sealed and painted with black resin, containing numerous gilded wooden figures. These were used in pre-burial rites before being placed in the tomb. Most represent a wide range of deities; some are paired depictions showing the King involved in particular activities. Their low material value had prevented them from being removed by tomb robbers. Similar wooden statues were found in royal tombs from 100 years before and 300 years after Tutankhamun's death, indicating a burial ritual that remained practically unchanged for at least 400 years.
The deities likely aided the passage to the afterlife in the course of the ceremony and greeted the deceased in the underworld. The god Menkeret raises royal power up to heaven; the dead King identifies himself with Ptah who lends his tongue and the power of creation. Tutankhamun is also seen harpooning a hippopotamus from a boat — an act that qualified him as a deity. The faces of some royal figures differ from the official portrait of Tutankhamun and must have been produced during a predecessor's reign.
Welcome to a journey through time
The tour begins in the museum. In the display cases, visitors can see precious jewels and objects related to gods, funerary practices, and the discovery of a famous tomb. From here, the golden mask of Tutankhamun appears — and when activated, the surroundings begin to change. A journey back to ancient Egypt begins.
The tour begins among the display cases — precious jewels and objects related to gods, funerary practices, and the discovery of a famous tomb. The golden mask activates the journey.
The scene takes place in the palace of Amenophis III. Tutankhamun sits on his throne, surrounded by royal advisors. An atmosphere of power, mystery, and responsibility fills the air. Four flames flicker along the pillars.
Another world opens — the world of the gods. The heart is weighed against the feather of truth. Tutankhamun too must face this trial. Will the scales remain in balance? The answer lies within the moment itself.
A leap through time to 1922. Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon are about to make a remarkable find. They open the tomb of Tutankhamun — a moment that makes history.
The burial chamber opens and is entered. Gold shimmers in the half-light; artworks emerge; enigmatic objects surround the scene. Then a final question remains: will the way back to the museum be found?
The scene from the papyrus of the scribe Ani (c. 1250 BC), now housed in the British Museum, belongs to the Judgment of the Scales of the Heart. Beginning with the leftmost vertical line, the vertical lines of text run from left to right and are read from top to bottom. At the very top of each line begins an invocation of the deity (in red). The symbol for negation, "not" (also in red), follows below the name, accompanied by a seated deity.
O Far-Walking One who comes forth from the city of Heliopolis: I have not done wrong.
— Negative Confession · Book of the Dead, Spell 125 · Papyrus of Ani, c. 1250 BCIf you suffer from motion sickness or dizziness, have a pacemaker, or suffer from epilepsy, we advise against participating in the Virtual Reality Experience. If you are pregnant, we also advise against participating.
Due to the nature of the content, participation is not recommended for children under 6 years of age. Children must be held by the hand and supervised at all times. Please wait for staff to assist you with putting on the VR headset.
Do not exceed the virtual boundaries; walls, columns, barriers, etc. Do not walk backwards. Do not run, jump, or push. If you experience dizziness, balance problems, discomfort, anxiety, disorientation, or technical issues, please raise your hand immediately.
Access is prohibited for persons under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Keep your personal belongings with you at all times. Please switch your mobile phone to airplane mode.
All participants of this Virtual Reality Experience accept these guidelines. Participation is at your own risk.
From ancient obscurity to global phenomenon
Europe and the West have been under the spell of Egyptian civilisation for centuries. At the end of the 18th century an early Egyptomania set in, principally reflected in esoteric circles and in art — Egypt seen as a place of ancient and secret wisdom. After Napoleon Bonaparte's Egyptian campaign, enthusiasm reached its first peak in the 19th century.
After the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, a new wave of enthusiasm for Egypt began. The recovery of magnificent objects became a spectacle in the eyes of the public that provoked mass tourism to the tomb. After many newspaper reports, a real Tutankhamun fever broke out in Europe and America. The mysterious King was surrounded by a compelling story: a child who ascended to the throne, died young under mysterious circumstances, and left behind a tomb filled with glittering gold and unseen artistic treasures that were ultimately part of a mysterious death cult.
The discovery hit the zeitgeist of late Art Nouveau and Art Deco, deeply touched by the beauty of the objects. The "style of the Nile" rapidly influenced architecture, arts and crafts, design, film, everyday objects and advertising. In Paris, New York and Berlin, people wore Luxor dresses and Pharaoh blouses, Egyptian-style sandals and Pharaonic jewellery. They listened to the Tutankhamen Shimmy and danced in the style of Egyptian reliefs. A type of brandy was even marketed under the name Tutankhamun.
Half a century after the discovery, a Tutmania flared up again with the global treasure tour of the 1970s. By 22 December 1978, the German press was astonished by the "gold rush and 'King Tut' in America" — with mile-long queues, sold-out tickets, and crowds storming to see reproductions. The young Pharaoh, forgotten for three millennia, had become one of the most recognised figures in the world.