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Archaeological Facts that Could Change the Way We See History

Khalid Elhassan December 2, 2021 36 min

Archaeological Facts - Atlantis — The legend of sunken Atlantis. History Network

Archaeological Facts - Jumble of items in Tutankhamun's tomb — Jumble of items in Tutankhamun’s tomb. Brewminate

22. An Archaeological Find That Kicked Off Egyptomania Around the World

Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus and mummy were not the only things in the tomb: there were about 5,400 other items in there as well. They included a throne, wine jars, statues of various gods and of the king, and even two fetuses that subsequent DNA examination revealed to have been the stillborn offspring of Tutankhamun. It took Carter almost a decade before he managed to finish an archaeological catalog of the tomb’s contents. Astonishingly, the rich archaeological haul was what was left over after ancient robbers had twice tunneled their way into the tomb. Both times, the robbery was discovered, and the tunnels were filled in.

Carter’s find triggered a wave of Egyptomania. Tutankhamun came to be known as “King Tut” – a name that was soon appropriated by businesses to brand various products. Ancient Egyptian references made their way into popular culture, and musical hits such as “Old King Tut” became all the rage. Even US president Herbert Hoover caught the Tutankhamun bug, and named his pet dog King Tut. Although Tutankhamun is undoubtedly the most famous Egyptian pharaoh today, he was one of the least significant pharaohs back in Ancient Egypt.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.