Pod Insights Hot History King Tut's Tomb About this episode Okay team we're splitting this episode between the Ancient Egyptian New Kingdom and Cairo in the 1920s as we look at the life of King Tut and the man who discovered his famous tomb - Mr Howard Carter!
Transcript 0:00 Speaker 00 Hello and welcome back to a brand new episode of Hot History. I am so excited to have you listening along today guys as we talk about all the things in history that you probably should know, but don't. In today's episode, we are covering our very first dual time jump because I cannot talk about either of these men in isolation. They are linked together in history and in legend and largely would have been forgotten without the other. So join me as we head back into the depths of ancient history to look at the life of the boy king Tutankhamun and 1920s Cairo in England where we uncover the man who found his legendary tomb. Mr. Howard Carter.
0:58 Speaker 00 So to start off with guys, let's take a jump back in time to the new kingdom of ancient Egypt.
1:07 Speaker 00 The year is 1341 BCE and Egypt is currently in the midst of a period of absolute religious turmoil thanks to the pharaoh Akhenaten's declaration that all should worship one god whose name was Aten. Now prior to this, Egypt was a renowned polytheistic state where multiple gods served multiple purposes throughout society. So this was a big, big deal guys and in making this decision Akhenaten alienated many of the priests and religious figures at the time. So when he then dies prematurely around 133 BC,
1:49 Speaker 00 they are particularly relieved at the prospect of a reversion back to polytheism via his son, who obviously becomes the new pharaoh. They were also particularly thrilled at this because he was quite literally a boy. He was eight years old, which meant that his advisors could hold real power and evoke real change. Of these, there were two in particular that really took advantage. Um, the visar Ai and the military general Horemhe.
2:22 Speaker 00 Now they pushed for a version back to polytheism, which was symbolised with conversion of the young boy king's name to Tutankhamun, which means living image of Amun, who was one of the old gods. So Akhenaten's dead, Tutankhamun's on the throne. They've reverted back to polytheism and you're able to basically worship whoever you choose. And because of this, Tutankhamun becomes widely adored. With this reform, not only restoring a sense of religious normalcy, but also helping re-establish social and political order in Egypt. So up until this point, all throughout Akhenaten's rule,
3:05 Speaker 00 the entire fundamentals of Egyptian society are like totally turned on their head.
3:11 Speaker 00 But Tutankhamun did some other things, rather than just revert Egypt back to polytheism. He also moved the royal court back to Thebes from the heretical city of Akhenaten, which is in modern day Amarna. Uh, he engaged in no major military conquests or political shifts and reconstructed several important projects, including the temples of Karnak and Luxor, which aimed to really erase the damage of his father's rule. So all in all, guys, Tutankhamun's rule is summed up as cleaning up after his dead dad. And of course, restoring the religious and social structures of Egyptian society. And like I said, because of that, he was widely respected and loved.
3:55 Speaker 00 Now, as was tradition for fairies at the time, he married his half-sister Anekesenamun, who was the daughter of his father, obviously, Akhenaten, and Queen Nefertiti. Now, while we know this marriage took place, we actually know very little about their personal lives, including whether they had any children. For at age eighteen or nineteen, we're actually not really sure, Tutankhamun suddenly died from unknown causes. This has led many to theorise throughout time, whether it was murder, accident, some kind of illness or even a plague. But what we do know is that he dies incredibly young and he is placed in a tomb within the Valley of the Kings.
4:41 Speaker 00 Now, the size of the tomb determines that it was likely built for someone else, given how small it was, and that his death was a total surprise. So I don't want to get too much into King Tut, guys. It's really just a summary for you guys to understand who he is to give context to Mr. Howard Carter. But there's King Tut, the store of buildings, religion and social practices, who was widely beloved and died tragically young. That's basically all you need to know. So let's jump forward to London, eighteen seventy-four.
5:13 Speaker 00 Hi, hi, we are in London and the date is May ninth. There is a young boy who was born by the name of Howard Carter. Now, he is the youngest of eleven children born by his father Samuel, who was an artist, and his mother Martha. Now, due to its size, the Carter household was a largely overwhelming place to be. And Howard found refuge in a love for art and drawing passed down from his father. But his main passion, like all hot girlies everywhere, was ancient Egypt. Now, Howard had a lot of time to indulge in his studies as he was a chronically ill child and as such was home schooled. But this lack of formal education didn't stop him from learning.
5:59 Speaker 00 He trained in drawing and was hired at the young age of only seventeen by Percy Newbury, an archaeologist working for the Egyptian Exploration Fund, or EEF. Now, Carter's job here was to basically help copy and provide more masterful illustrations of ancient Egyptian tombs and hieroglyphs, a task which he did with great skill. Moving to Egypt was a real delight for the young budding archaeologist, who spent his time learning from some of the best minds. He worked at Benihassan, an ancient Egyptian cemetery, where he became really familiar with the customs, art and burial practices of ancient Egyptians.
6:42 Speaker 00 With his artistic talent and attention to detail, making him a valuable asset to many expeditions, all of which led him to be appointed as Chief Inspector of Antiquities for Upper Egypt by the Egyptian Antiquities Service at, guess how old?
7:00 Speaker 00 Twenty five. Now, I'm twenty six. And I like to think, guys, that I've done something meaningful with those years. But this is an insane amount of responsibility for a young person to have. Hal was responsible for everything from supervising excavations to preserving ancient sites. And he did such a great job with Upper Egypt that he was actually appointed to the same role for Lower Egypt shortly after. Now, it was during this time that Carter began to develop a, shall we say, reputation. On one hand, he was hardworking, passionate and honest.
7:41 Speaker 00 But on the other, he was stubborn and sometimes difficult to work with, which eventually led to the end of his career as an inspector, when in nineteen oh five, he got into a dispute with a French officer over the handling of Egyptian artefacts in what became known as the Saqqara affair. Now, I think this is super, like, blown out of the water and over-exaggerated, but I guess it is nineteen oh five. Basically, what happened, there's a bunch of French tourists who visited the Saqqara site, which holds one of the oldest pyramids in history. And they start going around and demanding access to areas that they're not permitted to enter, after which they were reportedly then went on to treat the local Egyptian
8:25 Speaker 00 guards and officials disrespectfully, yelling at them, basically. Carter was there, and he was known for his strong sense of justice and supporting his Egyptian staff on hand. So he flat out refuses to allow these tourists access and basically stands up for the guards who had denied them entry. From what we know, an argument breaks out. The tourists complained to the French-run antiquities service, which governed Egyptian archaeology at the time. It's really key to remember in the history of archaeology as a kind of science and as a study, the French under Napoleon really pioneered that.
9:03 Speaker 00 So because of this, the tourist complaints were taken very seriously, so much so that the lead officer asked Carter, not even asked him, guys, he literally demanded him to apologize for the incident to these rude-ass fucking French tourists. Obviously.
9:25 Speaker 00 He says fuck no and stands firm by his decision and he start actions. And this led to a formal investigation and Carter eventually resigning, or at least being forced to resign from his post with the Antiquities Service. All of this really led him to become disillusioned with government-run archaeology bodies. And out of work, he spent the next few years doing freelance jobs, including selling watercolour paintings and helping other archaeologists. Which was when he met George Herbert, the fifth Earl of Carnarvon, who was in Egypt for its warmer climate to recover from a car accident. So in this time, the British born aristocrat, whose ancestral home, Highcliff Castle, guys,
10:11 Speaker 00 is none other than Downton Abbey, fun little side note, he developed a serious interest in archaeology. And what at first began as a real hobby soon emerged as a big investment opportunity. And so Lord Carnarvon goes around and starts investing in small excavations, but he has no real technical ability, so he needs an experienced and reliable excavator to manage his digs. Which is when, in nineteen oh seven, Lord Carnarvon meets Howard Carter. And despite coming from very, very different backgrounds, the pair become the ultimate working duo. Now for some really quick context here for you guys, by the early twentieth century,
10:56 Speaker 00 the Valley of the Kings, which is where a majority of ancient Egypt's heavy hitters are buried. You have Ramesses the Second and Third, Thutmose the Third, Seti the First, and Amunhotep the Third, just to name a few. So their tombs had all been found by the time nineteen hundred rolled around. But Carter was convinced, guys, that there was one last real burial remaining hidden. That of the boy king, Tutankhamun.
11:28 Speaker 00 He was beyond obsessed at this point, guys. You look at really all of the great archaeological discoveries in history, Machu Picchu, the Titanic, Pompeii, Knossos. None of them would be possible without pure, unadulterated obsession. And Carter was no exception. He cannot stop thinking about this tomb. So he finally goes out. He gets Carnarvon's funding. He obtains the concessions to excavate the Valley of the Kings in nineteen fourteen. However, there is a slight delay here. Bit of a dent in his plans from excavation with the outbreak of that little old thing called World War One.
12:13 Speaker 00 But he comes back in nineteen seventeen and returned for another five seasons under the beating and blaring heat of the Egyptian sun. And his team toiled with nothing to show for it. By this point, Carnarvon was growing discouraged and by nineteen twenty-two, he actually considered ending the project. Carter, however, persuaded him to fund one final season, promising to pay expenses himself if nothing was found. This year, the persistence paid off. On November fourth, nineteen twenty-two,
12:54 Speaker 00 Carter's team uncovered a series of steps leading to a sealed doorway. Subsequent clearing revealed another door stamped with the cartouche of Tutankhamun. Carter realised they had found what no one had believed still existed. A totally intact royal tomb. This was groundbreaking, guys. I honestly still get she was talking about it. It's literally.
13:23 Speaker 00 Like, the point in the big historical biopic where like Alan Turing breaks Enigma with the machine, or Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty when she sees Bin Laden's body. It's giving like national treasure, honestly, that's what it's giving. This is the thing that he was obsessed with. He was willing to go bankrupt, to be ruined, to be humiliated, but he never, ever, ever gave up on it. And right here in front of his eyes is the sealed tomb of the boy king, which he spent nearly a decade
14:03 Speaker 00 looking for. Like, full body chills, guys. If you're not having full body chills over this, if you're not an ancient Egypt lover, you are not a hot history girly. Come on. Now, despite the tomb's discovery on November fourth, it was not actually until November twenty sixth that the famed tomb would be unsealed. And this is for a few reasons. One, Lord Carnarvon was home in England, so he sent word for him to make the journey and join him for the opening. Love that. That's so sweet. If this was me, like, I have such a sense of immediacy. I'd like would just have to rip it open. I'd literally be laying there at night. Secondly, Carter knew how significant this discovery was. And he understood the need for a formal and secure opening to be conducted
14:48 Speaker 00 in the presence of a member of the Egyptian Department of Antiquities. So they had to have a representative present. He was also probably like totally paranoid. They'd somehow step him in the back or fuck him over after, like, his last entanglement with them. And thirdly, this man was a proper archaeologist. He wasn't a grave robber or some loony digging around in the sand. He wanted to ensure that his team properly assessed the situation and secured the site for the meticulous process of documentation to begin. So finally, on November twenty sixth, all the ducks are in their rows and with a small chisel and hammer. Carter made a hole in the sealed doorway where he inserted a candle.
15:32 Speaker 00 Carnarvon, impatient, asked if he could see anything. Carter's reply has since become legendary. Yes, wonderful things. And he wasn't fucking wrong. This tomb contained four main chambers. The antechamber, annex, burial chamber and treasury. Within the antechamber was ceremonial couches, chariots and everyday objects meant for the afterlife. The annex contained food, water and personal belongings. The treasury packed with statues, ritual objects in the magnificent Canopic shrine underscored the opulence of royal burial practices.
16:12 Speaker 00 While the burial chamber in and of itself at the tomb's heart held the nestled shrine's sarcophagi, golden head mask. And ultimately, the mummy of Tutankhamun himself, which lay untouched for more than three thousand years. In all, more than five thousand objects were catalogued. From golden masks and jewellery to linen shirts, board games, weapons and furniture. The tomb offered an unparalleled window into the material culture of the New Kingdom. And became an instant worldwide phenomenon. Newspapers across the world carried breathless reports of the treasures emerging from the tomb.
16:54 Speaker 00 Photographs taken by Harry Burton documented each stage of the excavation, further fueling public fascination. And Tutankhamun, once a forgotten pharaoh, suddenly became one of, if not the most famous in ancient history. The find also sparked tensions between Egyptian authorities who wanted to assert control over their antiquities. And the British archaeologists themselves. Carter, ever meticulous and somewhat abrasive, clashed with officials often, but remained determined to preserve and document every item with care.
17:31 Speaker 00 So the tomb's found, guys. The media is ablaze and Carter is the most famous archaeologist in the world, if not in history. But just as the team are riding the ultimate high, some weird shit starts to happen. So first of all, just months after the discovery in April nineteen twenty-three, tragedy strikes. First, Lord Carnarvon died in Cairo from blood poisoning, following an infected mosquito bite on his cheek. His sudden death gave rise to lurid stories of the Curse of the Pharaohs. And when it was revealed that King Tut also carried a mark on his same cheek, the curse's legend was made all the more. This was also increased
18:16 Speaker 00 by coincidences such as power outage in Cairo the night of Carnarvon's death, and the simultaneous death of his dog back in England that same night. This was followed by George J Gould, wealthy robber baron who died two months after viewing the tomb, Richard Berthold, Carter's secretary who was murdered in nineteen twenty-nine, the third Baron Westburn who received a looted artefact from the tomb, jumping out of his seventh-floor apartment building, Prince Ali Kamel Farmee visiting the tomb and being shot by his wife five months later. There was also Sir Bruce Ingham, who was also gifted a looted artefact that he used as paperweight and whose house burned down that same week. And two archaeologists
19:00 Speaker 00 who removed Tut's shroud and x-rayed his body, dying days after doing so. Now, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, guys, this is not that podcast. But looking at the numbers, most of those involved in the excavation, including Carter, did live long lives. Yet, the myth of the curse lives on. It's captured the public imagination and really remains a large part of the Tutankhamun story to this day.
19:31 Speaker 00 I mean, come on, guys. If it were real, Carter, for sure dead, number one on the hit list. But despite all the myth and all the tragedy and all the mystery, Carter continued the painstaking work of cataloguing the tomb's contents. Every single item was photographed, sketched and recorded before being removed to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. This meticulous process took nearly ten years, concluding in nineteen thirty-two. And still to this day, there are portions of the tomb left intact and untouched. Carter, now one of the most famous men in Egyptian history,
20:11 Speaker 00 lived relatively quietly after the work was complete, lecturing and writing about the discovery. Despite his monumental achievement, he never actually received any kind of official honour from the British or any other kind of government. And he died in nineteen thirty-nine, remembered by many as difficult but brilliant. So we've covered nearly sixty-five years of history when looking at the life of Howard Carter and the discovery of King Tut's tomb. But who else is kicking around at the same time? So Queen Victoria died when Howard Carter was twenty-seven. The first Ford motor car was made when he was just shy of thirty.
20:52 Speaker 00 And Queen Elizabeth the Second was born fifty-two years after Carter, as was Marilyn Monroe. Meanwhile, Machu Picchu was discovered when Howard was thirty-seven. So two of the biggest archaeological discoveries occurring within a decade of one another. Carter died a mere few months before the outbreak of World War Two and the same day that Gandhi began his hunger strike in Bombay. So what influence does Howard Carter and King Tut have on modern times? Well, the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb really transformed Egyptology. It was more than just an archaeological breakthrough. It was an event that reshaped how the world saw ancient Egypt.
21:36 Speaker 00 It provided to us the only largely intact royal burial from the New Kingdom, offering insight into things like burial practices, artistry and daily life that had been lost in other looted or damaged tombs. The golden death mask of Tutankhamun, inlaid with lapis lazuli and other semi precious stones, has become one of the most iconic symbols of not only ancient Egypt, but I would go so far as to say the most iconic symbols of history. The treasures now housed in the Egyptian Museum and gradually being moved to the new Grand Egyptian Museum, which is opening soon, guys, I'm so excited. Continue to attract millions of visitors and inspire exhibitions around the world.
22:21 Speaker 00 And lastly, guys, how is Howard Carter slash King Tut remembered in pop culture? So after its discovery, Tutankhamun became a global celebrity sparking waves of Tut mania. From fashion and design in the nineteen twenty twenties to travelling exhibitions in the late twentieth and early twentieth first centuries and still really today. There are multiple mentions of King Tut throughout music history, including randomly, guys, Steve Martin's satirical song King Tut, which he performed on SNL and which went to the top forty hits in the US. Designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Dior have used Egyptian motifs often featuring Tut's mask.
23:03 Speaker 00 Tut is seen in multiple modern art pieces, including Andy Warhol's street art. There are several novels, including The Murder of Tutankhamun by Bob Brier and The Tutankhamun Affair by Christian Dior. He also appeared on shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy and Doctor Who. Plus, of course, the biggest of them all, the Mummy franchise with the idea of the Pharaoh's curse coming straight out of the Carter and Tut history books. As for Carter himself, well, the Indiana Jones franchise owns a huge debt to him. And while Indy is more swashbuckling and hot, the entire idea of dashing archaeologists chasing treasures in Egypt traces back to Carter and the nineteen twenty-two Tut mania which ensued.
23:49 Speaker 00 Now, the story of King Tut and its legacy is a complex one. And there is obvious educational benefits, cultural relevance and scientific advancement that came as a result of its discovery. In this version, Howard Carter is a hero and, as I said, a kind of scientific Indiana Jones. But on the other side of that coin, Carter is widely criticised as a symbol of imperialism. The idea of a British man coming in and not only disturbing the peace of a native former monarch, but then dismantling his possessions, has been branded as imperial archaeology and deeply offensive.
24:32 Speaker 00 With accusations of smuggling artefacts and clashing with Egyptian authorities adding fuel to the ever-growing fire. Now, this is a conversation I actually remember having in like year seven or year eight, all around the ethics of archaeology and King Tut's case was one of the examples. And looking at whether it is moral to dig up former loved ones, people, humans. These are not just kings or queens or vessels of history. They are human beings and at basis deserve to be left alone in peace.
25:07 Speaker 00 However, the value of the knowledge and context and understanding that the discovery and excavation provide, in turn, cannot be overlooked. Particularly, guys, particularly, in an age where we are so quick to not only forget our past, but just like not give a fuck. We keep making the same mistakes. And if the knowledge provided by these discoveries helps us stop doing that, or at the very least, gives us a better, bigger picture of how we got here. Is that worth it?
25:50 Speaker 00 I don't know. Truthfully, it's the age-old question, do the ends justify the means? And for me, I don't know, I can answer the question just yet. Maybe if I go on a dig and experience firsthand, I may be able to, but right now.
26:09 Speaker 00 I don't know, what do you guys think? Let me know. Still though, it is undeniable that the wonderful things glimpsed in the flickering light of Carter's candle continue to enchant and educate, reminding us not only of Egypt's grandeur, but also of the enduring power that discovery can have for humanity.
26:31 Speaker 00 Which makes the story of Tutankhamun's tomb in many ways the story of archaeology itself. A blend of science, adventure, tragedy, conflict and wonder that has captivated the world for over a century and will continue to do for the rest of time. And that brings us to the end of another episode of Hot History. If you'd like to support us guys, then you can find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts as Hot History. Follow us on TikTok at Hot dot history and on Instagram at Hot History Club. As always, it is a pleasure getting down and dirty in time with you and tune in next time as we discuss whether in fact the wonderful Wizard of Oz was truly wonderful
27:15 Speaker 00 when we look at the life, loves and losses of the late, great Judy Garland. See you then.
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