In November 1922, the British Egyptologist Howard Carter (1874–1939) achieved an archaeological sensation when he came across the almost completely preserved tomb of King Tutankhamun (c. 1341–1323 BC) in the Valley of the Kings near the ancient city of Thebes. Tutankhamun reigned in the 18^th Dynasty from about 1332 to 1323 BC during the New Kingdom. His body is the only ancient Egyptian mummy still kept in the valley, in the antechamber of the tomb. As it was the 62^nd tomb to be discovered, it was given the designation KV62.

The Curse of the Pharaohs

The excavation presented the team with great logistical challenges and took around 10 years in total. A number of people died during the opening of the burial chamber and further exploration, which gave rise to the legends of the “Curse of the Pharaohs”. One of the most famous deaths was that of Carter's financial backer, Lord Carnarvon (1866–1923). British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle speculated that certain precautions taken by Tutankhamun's priests to guard the tomb might have been the cause. In fact, excavations revealed that the tomb had been opened and closed twice before in ancient times.

The golden death mask of King Tut

By far the most famous of the 5,398 finds from the tomb is the golden death mask of Tutankhamun. It was discovered along with the mummy of "King Tut" in 1925. The mask is made of high karat gold and weighs over 10 kilograms (22 lb). It represents the pharaoh with the traditional Nemes headscarf of the Egyptian kings, with a vulture and the Uraeus serpent on his forehead.