Egypt's Cultural Heritage Roundup

In this month’s roundup of all things archaeological, historic etc, we find out that Princess Diana has a rival in the affections of the public and it is our very own Tutankhamun, we encounter German pyramid builders, and learn the truth about life on the Nile.

Tutankhamun continues to hold our attention

Just when you think we know it all about Tutankhamun, the boy king goes and surprises and entertains us again. In the last few weeks we have watched as new discoveries have been made in his tomb, an announcement has been made that he will finally be revealed to the public in his tomb in Luxor and his exhibition – which has not yet opened in London – is causing excitement more akin to a rock concert. And on top of all that, scientists say they have solved the mystery around his death and are now claiming that they finally know how he died. If you consider the Ancient Egyptians’ religious beliefs for a moment, then Tutankhamun must be a very happy and old man; as they thought that those whose name is spoken after death never die.

So why has the world gone Tutankhamun crazy? And what are the stories behind these recent headlines? Well we must start this story in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, once considered by academics and archaeologists to be a spent force, even before the discovery by Howard Carter in 1922 of Tutankhamun’s almost intact tomb. The discovery of a new tomb, now designated KV63 in the winter of 2005/2006 started a media frenzy that has not abated even today. Although the finds in the tomb were not as spectacular as those found in Tutankhamun’s tomb and the recent press coverage has in fact stated that the tomb might now be re-branded as a store or embalmers’ cache, it got many thinking about what else might lie undiscovered in the Valley of the Kings.