A 100 years since Tutankhamun’s tomb was uncovered — Through brutal methods

It has been exactly a century since Howard Carter’s team uncovered the remains of the legendary Pharaoh Tutankhamun in November 1925. For decades, the event was celebrated as a triumph of archaeology — yet today it is remembered far more darkly, largely because of how the pharaoh’s remains were handled during the excavation.

The beginning of “Tutmania”

In November 1922, a team led by Howard Carter and made up largely of Egyptian workers successfully discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The discovery instantly became a global sensation and reignited the Western world’s fascination with ancient Egypt. Contemporary newspapers and the general public referred to the immense interest surrounding the tomb’s treasures and the mystery of the young pharaoh simply as “Tutmania”.

However, the excavation of the tomb proved to be an extremely lengthy process. Years passed before the researchers reached the most significant find — the pharaoh’s body itself — due to the meticulous documentation of the artefacts and the tensions developing between Carter and the Egyptian government. It was only in November 1925 that the innermost coffin of Tutankhamun was finally opened. Few people realise, however, that this moment marked the beginning of one of archaeology’s darkest chapters, according to The Conversation.

A brutal excavation

The team were stunned to find that Tutankhamun’s body had been fused to the coffin by a thick, black, hardened resin-like substance — a kind of tar applied to the bandages during the burial to protect the body from decay.

Rather than seeking an appropriate method to deal with it, Carter’s team first attempted to soften the resin using heat from the sun. When this failed, they resorted to drastic measures: the mummy was cut into pieces using hot knives. The pharaoh’s head and funerary mask were simply separated from the body, and after examinations were carried out, the team attempted to reattach the pieces to give the illusion that the mummy had remained intact.