(Photo credit: Profile Books)
(Image shows the cover of the book which displays an Egyptian mummy face in gold, with the title of the book ‘Tutankhamen’s curse: the developing history of an Egyptian king” and the name of the author: Joyce Tyldesley)
On 4 November 1922, after years of archaeological detective work, labourers employed by Lord Carnarvon and his archaeological partner Howard Carter discovered a flight of steps leading down to the lost tomb of the 18th Dynasty Egyptian king Tutankhamen.
The opening of Tutankhamen’s tomb was a definitive moment in archaeology: the first time an Egyptian king had been discovered surrounded by his grave goods. Modern science is helping to unravel the stories behind Tutankhamen’s extraordinary array of grave goods, analysing everything from loincloths found within the tomb to the king’s mummified body.
Tutankhamen’s story has everything that makes ancient Egypt so captivating to the modern imagination: golden treasure, a determined explorer, a mummified king, sudden death and a curse.
Joyce Tyldesley’s fascinating book approaches Egyptology’s most famous find with fresh eyes, reconstructing Tutankhamen’s family, his reign and his after-death mythology. The book is divided into two seperate but complementary sections. The first deals with the evidence of Tutankhamen’s life and death. The second considers the development of the post-discovery Tutankhamen. Even ninety years after the discovery of his tomb, exhibitions displaying real and replica Tutankhamen artefacts are as popular as they ever were.
Tyldesley writes with great humour and enthusiasm and her passion for the subject spills out onto every page. It is an informative and entertaining read for anyone interested in Egyptian history.
Further details of Tutankhamen’s curse can be found on the main catalogue, available in ‘Catalogues’ on the Library’s website.