In 1922, Tutankhamun’s nearly intact tomb was discovered in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. British archaeologist Howard Carter found the entrance to KV62 on November 4, 1922, during excavations financed by George Herbert, the fifth Earl of Carnarvon.
The tomb had been concealed by debris and escaped the extensive looting that affected many royal burials. Although ancient robbers entered it at least twice, Tutankhamun’s mummy and most of the burial goods survived, including coffins, furniture, jewelry, clothing, and the famous golden funerary mask. More than 5,000 objects were recorded.
Tutankhamun was a relatively obscure Eighteenth-Dynasty pharaoh who died young, but the spectacular discovery made him one of ancient Egypt’s best-known rulers. “Nearly intact” is more precise than “completely untouched”: the tomb had suffered limited intrusions, and its small size and crowded contents suggest it may have been adapted quickly for his burial.