Howard Carter and My Husband's Tomb (Teresa)

Coffinette of King Tut

The newspaper read : "After working for five years in the Valley of the Kings and finding almost nothing, Howard Carter was progressing on his final season when he made the discovery. On November 4, 1922, while clearing away some ancient huts, one of Howard Carter's workmen found a hidden step near the base of the tomb of Rameses VI. Though he hoped it led to an ancient, royal tomb, it could just as easily have been a royal cache or, much worse, empty - pilfered in antiquity. But that was not to be. Carter had discovered not just an unknown ancient Egyptian tomb, but one that had lain nearly undisturbed for over 3,000 years. PharaohTutankhamun, the boy king, was found within his nearly intact tomb."

Howard Carter, an English archaeologist and Egyptologist, found the tomb of the King who was both my brother and my husband.  I have mixed feelings over the discovery of his tomb and subsequent removal of my King's grave goods.  I was 13 and Tutankhamun was 8 when he became pharaoh and we were married.  It was 10 short years later that my King died.  When someone dies, their heart is weighed in the heart test with the gods Anubis, Ammut the devourer and Thoth.  The heart is weighed against the feather of truth.  If you were good, your heart was lighter than a feather and if you were bad your heart was heavy.  If your heart was found to be heavy, Ammut the devourer would suddenly appear and gobble you up!  Since we record everything in Ancient Egypt, the god Thoth was there to record the findings.

Anubis, Ammut and Thoth - Weighing of the Heart Ceremony

When a pharaoh dies, it is a priority to make sure they get to the afterlife successfully.  He has to have everything needed for the afterlife with him.  That is why all these things are put in a tomb.  Included in the grave goods are Shabtis, small figures carved from stone or wood.  They are shaped like people and in the afterlife they become the pharaoh's servants.  My king, along with all other pharaoh's, have about 50 to 60 Shabtis with them in their tomb.  Mountains of gold get piled into the tomb so pharaoh can enjoy himself in the afterlife.  The walls and roof of the tomb are covered in pictures of the pharaoh doing things in the afterlife, such as meeting the gods, having a successful weighing of the heart and servants worshiping him.  We also include spells of good luck for the pharaoh.

Howard Carter, 1922

 If someone was caught robbing a tomb, they faced a horrible death.  I believe had Howard Carter entered and removed grave goods from my pharaoh's tomb while I was alive, he would have been killed.  It is fortunate that Mr. Carter found my King's tomb almost 3,100 years after he was buried.  Carter spent almost ten years cataloging all the grave goods he found.  I know King Tut found his way to his afterlife.  Since there were grave goods remaining in his tomb, my King did not need all that we packed for him.  I also know that if Howard Carter had not spent all that time cataloging and examining my King's tomb, there is much you would not know about me and my people.  Today, you know what King Tut looked like because Howard Carter found a solid gold mask inside the tomb designed like the pharaoh's face.  It was because of Mr. Carter's discovery that so many people over the years have become so interested and fascinated in my history and the history of my people.

Howard Carter was honored on May 9, 2012 with a Google Doodle in celebration of his 138th birthday.

Google Doodle, May 9, 2012