Miraculously, the tomb, consisting of four separate chambers, was discovered to be virtually intact, with its treasures untouched after more than 3,000 years, unlike previously discovered tombs belonging to other pharaohs.
Its discovery, therefore, provided archaeologists and historians with incredibly valuable information on the religion, rituals, and culture of the ancient Egyptians.
More than 5,000 priceless artefacts made up the surprisingly rich burial, many of which were in extremely delicate condition and required an unprecedented level of care to remove (as they were liable to fall apart at the touch).
“When (Howard) Carter discovered the tomb on November 4th 1922, he found 5,398 pieces. Most of them were gold. The tomb itself is a very modest tomb, it’s a very small tomb compared to the rest of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings,” says Mostafa Waziri, the Secretary General of Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Despite its size, the tomb was filled with everything the “Boy King” would need for the afterlife, including furniture, chariots, wine, fresh food, clothing musical instruments and weapons.
The four chambers inside the burial consist of an antechamber, a burial chamber, an annex, and a treasury.
The antechamber was the first room that Carter entered (on 26 November 1922), and contained many of King Tut’s prized possession that he used during his life, including three golden animal couches, a paper fan, and pieces of four war chariots.
Beyond the antechamber lay the ornately decorated and excellently mummified corpse of the late great King Tutankhamun in the burial chamber, which was guarded by two enormous figures of the god Anubis.
The walls of the burial chamber are painted with different scenes of the pharaoh interacting with the different gods and goddesses.
