09 May - Howard Carter British archaeologist and Egyptologist was born in 1874

 

 

Howard Carter was a British archaeologist and Egyptologist who is best known for his discovery of the tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun in 1922. He was born on May 9, 1874, in Kensington, London.

Carter began his career in archaeology at the age of 17, working as an artist and copyist for the Egypt Exploration Fund. He later joined the British Museum's Egyptian Antiquities Department and worked on numerous excavations in Egypt, including the temple complex of Karnak.

In 1907, Carter was appointed by Lord Carnarvon, an English aristocrat and amateur Egyptologist, to lead an excavation in the Valley of the Kings. For several years, Carter and his team searched the valley for the tomb of Tutankhamun, who had been relatively unknown at the time. However, their efforts were initially unsuccessful, and the project was eventually abandoned due to lack of funding.

In 1922, Carter was able to resume his search for Tutankhamun's tomb with the financial backing of Lord Carnarvon. After several weeks of digging, the team discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, which was filled with treasures and artifacts. The discovery made headlines around the world and is considered one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century.

After the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, Carter continued to work in Egypt, but his career was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the distribution of the treasures found in the tomb. Carter retired from archaeology in 1935 and died on March 2, 1939, in Kensington, London.

Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb revolutionized the field of Egyptology and provided invaluable insights into ancient Egyptian culture and history. His meticulous record-keeping and documentation of the discovery have also helped archaeologists to understand the excavation process and the context of the artifacts found in the tomb.