discovering tutankhamun tutankhamun brings together objects, photographs, and archive material from...

press release

Ashmolean Museumof Art and ArchaeologyUniversity of Oxford

Beaumont StreetOxford OX1 2PHwww.ashmolean.org

13 December 2013, for immediate release:

Discovering Tutankhamun24 Ju ly–26 October 2014

Claire Parris | Press Officer | Ashmolean Museum | claire.parris@ashmus.ox.ac.uk | T+44 (0)1865 278 178 | M +44 (0)7833 384 512

Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter ’s excavat ion of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 was one of the most s ignif icant archaeological d iscover ies of the 20th century. The name of the ‘boy king’ is now synonymous with the glor ies of ancient Egypt and the spectacular contents of h is tomb cont inue to enthral the publ ic and scholars a l ike. The Ashmolean’s summer exhibit ion displays objects from ancient Egypt’s Amarna Per iod (about 1350–1330 BC) with mater ia l f rom the archives of Oxford’s Gr i f f i th Inst i tute, celebrat ing i ts 75th year in 2014, to te l l the story of the discovery of the tomb, i ts popular appeal , and to explore how modern Egyptologists cont inue to interpret the evidence.

H o w a r d C a r t e r ( 1 8 7 4 – 1 9 3 9 ) c a m e t o E g y p t o l o g y t h r o u g h h i s s k i l l s a s a d r a u g h t s m a n a n d a r t i s t , c o m m i s s i o n e d t o c o p y h i e r o g l y p h i c i n s c r i p t i o n s a n d t o m b p a i n t i n g s a t t h e a g e o f s e v e n t e e n . B y 1 9 0 7 C a r t e r h a d b e c o m e a n e x p e r i e n c e d a r c h a e o l o g i s t a n d w a s e m p l o y e d b y G e o r g e H e r b e r t , t h e f i f t h E a r l o f C a r n a r v o n ( 1 8 6 6 – 1 9 2 3 ) , t o l e a d h i s e x c a v a t i o n s o f a n c i e n t t o m b s o n t h e T h e b a n w e s t b a n k ( o p p o s i t e m o d e r n Lu x o r ) . I n 1 9 1 4 t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o d i g i n t h e V a l l e y o f t h e Ki n g s p r e s e n t e d i t s e l f a n d b o t h m e n j u m p e d a t t h e c h a n c e t o s e a r c h f o r o n e o f t h e l a s t r o y a l t o m b s t o b e l o c a t e d , t h a t o f Tu t a n k h a m u n .

Li t t l e w a s k n o w n a b o u t Tu t a n k h a m u n w h e n C a r t e r a n d C a r n a r v o n b e g a n t h e i r s e a r c h . H e a p p e a r e d t o h a v e b e e n a k i n g o f m i n o r h i s t o r i c a l i m p o r t a n c e b u t r u l e d a t a t i m e w h e n E g y p t ’ s e m p i r e w a s a t t h e h e i g h t o f i t s p o w e r a n d w e a l t h , r e a c h i n g f r o m S u d a n t o S y r i a . Ye a r s o f f r u i t l e s s e x c a v a t i o n f o l l o w e d a n d b y 1 9 2 2 Lo r d C a r n a r v o n c o u l d n o l o n g e r a f f o r d t h e c o s t s a n d d e c i d e d t o t e r m i n a t e t h e w o r k . C a r t e r p e r s u a d e d h i m t o u n d e r t a k e o n e m o r e s e a s o n a n d w i t h i n d a y s o f t h e r e n e w e d d i g g i n g C a r t e r w r o t e i n h i s d i a r y, o n 5 N o v e m b e r : “ D i s c o v e r e d t o m b u n d e r t o m b o f R a m s e s V I / I n v e s t i g a t e d s a m e & f o u n d s e a l s i n t a c t . ”

T h e d i s c o v e r y c a u s e d a s e n s a t i o n . T h e T i m e s o f Lo n d o n w a s g i v e n e x c l u s i v e a c c e s s t o t h e e x c a v a t i o n a n d s o o n p h o t o g r a p h s o f t h e t o m b a n d i t s s p e c t a c u l a r c o n t e n t s t a k e n b y t h e e x c a v a t i o n ’ s p h o t o g r a p h e r, H a r r y B u r t o n , a p p e a r e d a r o u n d t h e w o r l d . R e p o r t i n g o n t h e s t o r y i n Fe b r u a r y 1 9 2 3 , a N e w Yo r k T i m e s c o r r e s p o n d e n t w r o t e : “ T h e r e i s o n l y o n e t o p i c o f c o n v e r s a t i o n … O n e c a n n o t e s c a p e t h e n a m e o f Tu t - A n k h - A m e n a n y w h e r e . I t i s s h o u t e d i n t h e s t r e e t s , w h i s p e r e d i n t h e h o t e l s , w h i l e t h e l o c a l s h o p s a d v e r t i s e Tu t - A n k h - A m e n a r t , Tu t - A n k h - A m e n h a t s , Tu t - A n k h - A m e n c u r i o s , Tu t - A n k h - A m e n p h o t o g r a p h s . T h e r e i s a Tu t - A n k h - A m e n d a n c e t o n i g h t a t w h i c h t h e p i e c e i s t o b e a Tu t - A n k h - A m e n r a g . ” T h e p u b l i c w a s i n t h e g r i p s o f w h a t b e c a m e k n o w n a s ‘ Tu t m a n i a ’ . T h r o u g h o u t t h e 1 9 2 0 s , E g y p t a n d i t s b o y - k i n g w e r e c e l e b r a t e d i n f i l m , a d v e r t i s i n g , p o p u l a r m u s i c , f a s h i o n , a n d d e s i g n .

D i s c o v e r i n g T u ta n k h a m u n b r i n g s t o g e t h e r o b j e c t s , p h o t o g r a p h s , a n d a r c h i v e m a t e r i a l f r o m l e a d i n g c o l l e c t i o n s t o t e l l t h e s t o r y o f t h e s e a r c h f o r t h e t o m b , t h e p a i n s t a k i n g r e c o r d i n g o f i t s c o n t e n t s , a n d t h e r e s e a r c h t h a t c o n t i n u e s t o i l l u m i n a t e Tu t a n k h a m u n a n d h i s w o r l d . O n d i s p l a y a r e H a r r y B u r t o n ’ s i c o n i c p h o t o g r a p h s , C a r t e r ’ s h a n d - w r i t t e n d i a r i e s , a n d t h e s k e t c h e s a n d r e c o r d s m a d e i n t h e t o m b a s

i t w a s c l e a r e d f r o m 1 9 2 2 – 3 2 . M u c h o f t h i s m a t e r i a l f r o m t h e Tu t a n k h a m u n a r c h i v e i n t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f O x f o r d ’ s G r i f f i t h I n s t i t u t e , h a s n e v e r b e f o r e b e e n e x h i b i t e d i n p u b l i c . O t h e r h i g h l i g h t s i n c l u d e s o m e o f t h e f i n e s t a r t f r o m t h e A m a r n a Pe r i o d o n l o a n f r o m m a j o r i n t e r n a t i o n a l m u s e u m s a n d f r o m t h e A s h m o l e a n ’ s o w n s u p e r b c o l l e c t i o n s . O b j e c t s w h i c h i l l u s t r a t e t h e f r e n z i e d e n t h u s i a s m f o r a n c i e n t E g y p t i a n a r t a n d c u l t u r e , i n c l u d i n g j e w e l l e r y, d e c o r a t i v e a r t s , a n d v i n t a g e p o s t e r s a n d a d v e r t i s e m e n t s , e x p l o r e t h e 1 9 2 0 s ‘ Tu t m a n i a ’ a n d t h e f a s c i n a t i o n w i t h Tu t a n k h a m u n w h i c h e n d u r e s t o d a y.

Professor Chr is topher Brown CBE, Director of the Ashmolean, says: “D i s c o v e r i n g T u ta n k h a m u n t e l l s a t h r i l l i n g s t o r y o f a r c h a e o l o g i c a l d i s c o v e r y a n d e x p l o r e s i t s i m p a c t o n b o t h s c h o l a r s h i p a n d p o p u l a r c u l t u r e . T h e e x h i b i t i o n s h o w s a r c h i v a l m a t e r i a l w h i c h h a s n e v e r b e e n s e e n i n p u b l i c b e f o r e , w i t h m a j o r l o a n s f r o m a r o u n d t h e w o r l d , a n d p r o v i d e s t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o r e - e x a m i n e p i v o t a l m o m e n t s i n b o t h a n c i e n t a n d m o d e r n h i s t o r y. ”

Exhibit ion: D i s c o v e r i n g T u ta n k h a m u nDates : 2 4 J u l y – 2 6 O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4Venue : A s h m o l e a n S p e c i a l E x h i b i t i o n G a l l e r i e sPress View : We d n e s d a y 2 3 J u l y 2 0 1 4 , 1 1 a m – 2 p mTickets : £ 9 / £ 7 c o n c e s s i o n s

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For more information please contact:

Cla ire Parr is | Press Off icerc l a i r e . p a r r i s @ a s h m u s . o x . a c . u k | T + 4 4 ( 0 ) 1 8 6 5 2 7 8 1 7 8 | M + 4 4 ( 0 ) 7 8 3 3 3 8 4 5 1 2

Tom Jowett | Press & Market ing Assistantt o m . j o w e t t @ a s h m u s . o x . a c . u k | T + 4 4 ( 0 ) 1 8 6 5 2 7 8 2 8 5 | @ A s h m o l e a n Pr e s s

Notes to Editors:

D i s c o v e r i n g T u ta n k h a m u n i s c u r a t e d b y D r Pa u l C o l l i n s , A s s i s t a n t Ke e p e r o f t h e A n c i e n t N e a r E a s t , a n d M r Li a m M c N a m a r a , A s s i s t a n t Ke e p e r o f A n c i e n t E g y p t a n d S u d a n , A s h m o l e a n M u s e u m .

The exhibit ion has been generously supported by:T h e S e l z Fo u n d a t i o n

The Griff i th Inst i tute, Univers i ty of OxfordT h e G r i f f i t h I n s t i t u t e w a s e s t a b l i s h e d i n 1 9 3 9 a s t h e c e n t r e f o r E g y p t o l o g y a t O x f o r d , a l t h o u g h t h e g e n e s i s o f c o r e p r o j e c t s d a t e b a c k s o m e 4 0 y e a r s e a r l i e r. Fr a n c i s Ll e w e l l y n G r i f f i t h , t h e f i r s t Pr o f e s s o r o f E g y p t o l o g y a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f O x f o r d , b e q u e a t h e d h i s e s t a t e f o r t h e c r e a t i o n o f “ a p e r m a n e n t h o m e o r i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e s t u d y o f t h e a n c i e n t l a n g u a g e s a n d a n t i q u i t i e s o f t h e N e a r E a s t . ” T h e G r i f f i t h I n s t i t u t e A r c h i v e e v o l v e d f r o m G r i f f i t h ’ s c o l l e c t i o n o f m a n u s c r i p t s , i n c l u d i n g h i s o w n e x c a v a t i o n r e c o r d s . T h e A r c h i v e n o w a c c o m m o d a t e s m o r e t h a n 1 3 0 s u b s t a n t i a l m a n u s c r i p t g r o u p s f o r E g y p t o l o g y a n d A n c i e n t N e a r E a s t e r n S t u d i e s , r a n g i n g f r o m s c h o l a r l y p a p e r s t o n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y p h o t o g r a p h s , p a i n t i n g s , a n d d r a w i n g s . T h e c o m p l e t e o r i g i n a l e x c a v a t i o n r e c o r d s f r o m t h e t o m b o f Tu t a n k h a m u n f o r m a c o r e g r o u p . Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n v i s i t : w w w. g r i f f i t h . o x . a c . u k / t u t a n k h a m u n d i s c o v e r y. h t m l

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Claire Parris | Press Officer | Ashmolean Museum | claire.parris@ashmus.ox.ac.uk | T+44 (0)1865 278 178 | M +44 (0)7833 384 512