Discovery of King Tut's Tomb Timeline

(November 4, 1922 – February 16, 1923)

The discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings by British archaeologist Howard Carter in November 1922 is one of the most significant archaeological finds in history. The nearly intact tomb, filled with over 5,000 artifacts including the iconic golden death mask, revealed unprecedented insights into ancient Egyptian burial practices and royal life. More Less

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Background and Context

Tutankhamun becomes pharaoh of Egypt

1332 BC

Tutankhamun ascended to the throne of Egypt as a young boy, around nine years old, during the Eighteenth Dynasty of the New Kingdom. Originally named Tutankhaten, he changed his name to Tutankhamun, reflecting a return to the traditional worship of the god Amun after his predecessor Akhenaten's religious revolution.

Image source: Tutankhamun

Death of Tutankhamun

1323 BC

Tutankhamun died unexpectedly at around age 18 or 19. Because of his sudden death, he was buried in a tomb that was likely intended for someone else. His modest burial contributed to the tomb being forgotten in later centuries, which ironically helped protect it from extensive looting.

Ancient robbers breach Tutankhamun's tomb

1300 BC

Within years of the king's burial, thieves broke into the tomb twice, stealing small items. Officials resealed the tomb, and debris from later tomb construction buried its entrance, effectively hiding it for over three millennia beneath the Valley of the Kings.

Image source: Tomb of Tutankhamun

Howard Carter begins work in Egypt

1891

At age 17, Howard Carter arrived in Egypt as an artist and copyist on archaeological expeditions. He trained under William Flinders Petrie and developed into a skilled excavator and Egyptologist, eventually becoming Inspector of Monuments for Upper Egypt before turning to full-time excavation.

Image source: Howard Carter

Lord Carnarvon begins sponsoring excavations in Egypt

1907

George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, obtained a concession to dig near Thebes and hired Howard Carter to supervise his excavations. Their partnership would last fifteen years and ultimately lead to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in history.

Image source: George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon

The Search

Carter and Carnarvon shift operations to the Valley of the Kings

1914

Carnarvon acquired the excavation license for the Valley of the Kings, where most New Kingdom pharaohs were buried. Carter was convinced that the tomb of the little-known King Tutankhamun still lay undiscovered there, despite many experts believing the valley had been exhausted.

Image source: Valley of the Kings

World War I interrupts excavations

Aug 1914 - Nov 1918

The outbreak of World War I halted archaeological work in Egypt for several years. Carter served briefly with British intelligence, but by 1917 he had resumed systematic digging in the Valley of the Kings, searching season after season with little success.

Image source: World War I

Years of fruitless searching strain the partnership

1917 - 1922

After five seasons of expensive digging yielded little, Lord Carnarvon grew discouraged and told Carter this would be the final season of funding. Carter persuaded him to allow one more year of work, focusing on an area near the tomb of Ramesses VI that had been overlooked.

Image source: Discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun

Discovery and Excavation

Steps leading to a sealed doorway discovered

Nov 4, 1922

A water boy stumbled on what appeared to be a step cut into bedrock. Excavation revealed a flight of sixteen steps descending to a plastered doorway bearing the seal of the royal necropolis. Carter cabled Lord Carnarvon: 'At last have made wonderful discovery in Valley.'

Carnarvon arrives in Egypt

Nov 20, 1922

Lord Carnarvon traveled from England to Luxor with his daughter Lady Evelyn Herbert to witness the opening of the mysterious doorway. By then, Carter's workers had cleared the passage and exposed a second sealed door stamped with Tutankhamun's cartouche.

Carter makes the famous 'tiny breach' and glimpses treasures

Nov 26, 1922

With Carnarvon watching, Carter chiseled a small hole in the second door and held a candle inside. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw 'wonderful things' — gilded furniture, statues, and chariots jumbled together. When asked if he could see anything, he famously replied, 'Yes, wonderful things.'

Antechamber formally opened

Nov 29, 1922

The antechamber was officially opened, with Egyptian government officials present. The room contained hundreds of objects, including golden beds, thrones, and food offerings. The discovery made headlines worldwide, and the world's press descended on Luxor.

First press reports announce the discovery worldwide

Dec 1922

News of the discovery spread through newspapers around the globe, sparking unprecedented public fascination with ancient Egypt. 'Tut-mania' swept through fashion, music, and design, influencing Art Deco aesthetics and making Tutankhamun a household name.

Burial chamber opened

Feb 16, 1923

Carter opened the sealed burial chamber, revealing four nested gilded shrines surrounding the quartzite sarcophagus. It was the first time in modern history that an intact royal Egyptian burial had been found, confirming the tomb's extraordinary state of preservation.

Dispute with Egyptian government halts work

Feb 1924 - Jan 1925

A dispute erupted when the Egyptian government insisted that the widows of Carnarvon, who had died in April 1923, could not access the tomb and that artifacts be documented in Egypt rather than sent abroad. Carter protested and closed the tomb; work resumed only after negotiations in early 1925.

Sarcophagus and golden coffin revealed

Feb 12, 1924

Workers raised the massive granite sarcophagus lid, revealing a series of nested coffins. The innermost coffin, made of solid gold, contained the mummy of Tutankhamun wearing his iconic gold funerary mask, weighing over ten kilograms and inlaid with lapis lazuli and other gems.

Image source: Mask of Tutankhamun

Mummy of Tutankhamun unwrapped

Nov 11, 1925

After delicate work to separate the mummy from its coffins, where resins had cemented it in place, anatomist Douglas Derry performed the examination at the tomb entrance. The unwrapping took days and revealed the young king's remains along with amulets and jewelry placed within the wrappings.

Clearing of the tomb completed

Nov 10, 1930

After nearly eight years of painstaking work, Carter finished clearing and documenting the tomb's contents — over 5,000 objects including furniture, chariots, clothing, weapons, and jewelry. Every item was photographed and recorded, setting new standards for archaeological documentation.

Aftermath and Legacy

Death of Lord Carnarvon fuels 'mummy's curse' legends

Apr 5, 1923

Lord Carnarvon died in Cairo from blood poisoning following an infected mosquito bite. The media sensationalized his death, linking it to a supposed curse on those who disturbed the pharaoh's rest. The 'Curse of Tutankhamun' became a lasting pop culture phenomenon despite no scientific basis.

Image source: Curse of the pharaohs

Carter publishes complete account of the discovery

1933

Howard Carter published 'The Tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen,' co-written with Arthur Mace, providing a detailed narrative of the discovery and excavation. The multi-volume work remains a classic of archaeological literature and brought the story to a wide audience.

Death of Howard Carter

Mar 2, 1939

Howard Carter died in London at age 64 from lymphoma. He spent his final years cataloguing finds and living quietly near the Valley of the Kings. Despite popular myths, he did not die mysteriously shortly after the discovery, living another seventeen years afterward.

Treasures tour the world in blockbuster exhibitions

1967 - 1979

Major touring exhibitions of Tutankhamun's treasures drew millions of visitors across Europe, North America, and Japan. The 1972 British Museum show and the 1976–79 American tour were cultural phenomena, renewing global fascination with ancient Egypt and boosting museum attendance records.

X-ray examination of Tutankhamun's mummy

1968

Researchers X-rayed Tutankhamun's mummy, revealing bone fragments in the skull that fueled decades of speculation about possible murder. Later CT scans in 2005 suggested the fragments were likely caused by the mummification process, though the exact cause of death remains debated.

CT scan creates detailed images of the king's remains

Jan 5, 2005

Egyptian scientists conducted a CT scan of Tutankhamun's mummy, producing some 1,700 images. The study concluded that the king died around age 19, possibly from complications of a broken leg combined with malaria, and dispelled theories of a violent murder.

Grand Egyptian Museum prepares to display complete collection

2021

Egypt prepared to reunite all of Tutankhamun's known treasures in a dedicated gallery at the Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza, planned as the largest archaeological museum in the world. A century after the discovery, the boy king's treasures were set to be displayed together for the first time.

Image source: Grand Egyptian Museum

Grand Egyptian Museum prepares to display complete collection

Key Facts

Howard Carter discovered the tomb on November 4, 1922, after years of searching funded by Lord Carnarvon.
The tomb was found almost intact, making it the most complete royal tomb ever discovered in the Valley of the Kings.
Over 5,000 artifacts were found inside, including furniture, chariots, jewelry, and Tutankhamun's famous solid gold death mask.
Carter's excavation and cataloging of the tomb's contents took about ten years to complete.
The 'Curse of Tutankhamun' became a media sensation after Lord Carnarvon died months after the tomb's opening, though scientists found no evidence of a real curse.

Source

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