Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to the Golden City

A thorough and absorbing account of the life and times of the famous young pharaoh, Tutankhamun, from the discovery of his tomb to the CT-scans of the twenty-first century, now fully updated and expanded

Penned by one of the world’s best known Egyptologists, former Egyptian minister of state for antiquities Zahi Hawass, who was personally involved in research into the enigmatic young pharaoh, this revised and updated edition of Discovering Tutankhamun reviews the current state of our knowledge about the life, death, and burial of Tutankhamun in light of the latest investigations and newest technology, including the CT scans that finally revealed the identity of Tutankhamun’s mother.

Hawass places the king in the broader context of Egyptian history, unraveling the intricate and much debated relationship between various members of the royal family, and the circumstances surrounding the turbulent Amarna period. He also succinctly explains the religious background and complex beliefs in the afterlife that defined and informed many features of Tutankhamun’s tomb. The history of the exploration of the Valley of the Kings is discussed, as well as the background and mutual relationships of the main protagonists.

The tomb and its most important treasures are described and illustrated, and the modern X-raying and CT-scanning of the king’s mummy are presented in detail. The description of the latest DNA examination of the mummies of Tutankhamun and members of his family, much of which was never made known to the public, is one of the most absorbing parts of the book and demonstrates that scientific methods may produce results that cannot be paralleled by traditional Egyptology.

This updated and revised edition recounts untold stories from 1922 about Howard Carter and his momentous discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. It also includes a whole new chapter dedicated to the Golden City, which was founded by Amenhotep III, shedding new light on our knowledge of Thebes’ landscape in the reign of Tutankhamun and the end of the New Kingdom.

Zahi Hawass is one of the world’s best known Egyptologists, former Egyptian minister of state for antiquities, and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. He is the author of many books on ancient Egypt, including Secrets from the Sand: My Search for Egypt’s Past (pbk edition, AUC Press, 2011) and co-author of Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging of the New Kingdom Royal Mummies (AUC Press, 2016).