[Jpost] Monday marked the 102nd anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings on November 4, 1922, one of the most spectacular discoveries in archaeology. On that fateful day, British archaeologist Howard Carter wrote in his diary, "I discovered the first traces of the entrance to the tomb (Tut-ank-Amon)," marking the discovery of the tomb of the Golden King.
Howard Carter had been excavating in the Valley of the Kings for a decade and was no stranger to the challenges of treasure hunting in such an ancient and looted place. Since 1907, he had been working with British nobleman Lord Carnarvon, who financed the excavations in the lands washed by the Nile. However, Lord Carnarvon began to doubt that his investment would yield results. In 1922, when Carter had been excavating in the valley for five years without significant results, Lord Carnarvon pressured him to terminate the work. Lord Carnarvon granted Carter a last season of work in the autumn of that year—his final opportunity.
By a stroke of luck, Carter and his team made an incredible discovery, having begun excavations just three days earlier. A member of their team, a water boy, accidentally stumbled upon a stone that turned out to be the first step of an ancient staircase. Intrigued, Carter ordered to excavate quickly, and gradually, the team unearthed a series of descending steps leading to a sealed door with hieroglyphic inscriptions. These seals indicated that it was a royal tomb, and Carter realized he was facing the find of his life—a historic event.
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