Discovering The Past Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was home to a great civilization. The people who lived there left clues about how they lived. One clue is the pyramids, buildings that have stood in the desert for thousands of years.

Who built the pyramids, and why did they build them? What lies inside these mysterious building? These are some of the questions that scientist and historians try to answer.

Digging Up The Past

Archaeologists study objects from the past to learn about the people who made or used those objects and left them behind when they died. Archaeologists gather clues in many places. They look in old buildings. They also look for objects burried under the ground. Archaeologists often have to dig to find what they are looking for.

Objects From Long Ago

The objects that archaeologist study are called artifacts. Artifacts are clues that tell archaeologists how people lived in ancient time.

Artifacts can take many shapes. Old toys and games are artifacts. Statues and other art objects, baskets, bowls, and mummies are also artifacts. When artifacts are broken, archaeologists try to put the pieces back together.

A Search Begins

When Howard Carter was still a teenager, he traveled back thousands of years in time.

Carter became an archaeologist and continued to work in Egypt. He was searching for an ancient tomb. He knew that inside the tomb he would find clues about a time long ago.

Lost Treasures

Ancient Egyptians buried their dead kings in special tombs. Some tombs were in pyramids. Others were in the Valley of the Kings. Many archaeologists wanted to find these tombs so they could study the valuable artifacts inside. Often, though, when they opened the tombs there was nothing left inside, because people had stolenn the treasures long before.

Looking For King Tut

Howard Carter had a plan. He read stories of Egypt's history. He learned about a leader named Tutankhamun, or King Tut. No one knew where King Tutv was buried, though.

Carter wanted to took for King Tut's tomb. He decided to look in the Valley of the Kings. Carter got a map of the map of the valley and marked the tombs that had already been found. Carter thought King Tut's tomb might be nearby. He began to dig in 1917.

Stairs To A Door

Carter searched for many years. At first he found nothing. But he kept looking. He was determined to find King Tut's tomb. On November 4, 1922, his luck changed. Carter's team discovered a step that was cut into some rock.

The team kept digging. Soon they found fifteen more steps. The steps led to an ancient doorway. The door seemed to be sealed. It had the name Tutankhamun written on it.

The Room Beyond

The team took nearly three weeks to clear the staircase. Carter slowly made a hole in the door. He was stunned by what he found. Through the door was a series of rooms. One room held King Tut's mummy. Other rooms were filled with artifacts that had been buried with King Tut thousands of years before.

The Glint Of Gold!

The ancient tomb held more than 3,500 artifacts. It held jewels, statues, paintings, and lots of gold. King Tut's coffin was solid gold. The dead king had a gold mask and throne, too.

Howard Carter carefully studied all of these artifacts, which showed the great riches of Egyptian kings. They also gave clues about life in ancient Egypt. It took Carter a decade to finish work on King Tut's tomb.

A Famous King

King Tut died more than 3,000 years ago and reigned for only a decade or so. He had little claim to fame. He is well known today, though, simply because of Howard Carter's amazing discovery.

King Tut's tomb has taught us a lot about life in ancient Egypt. For example, it proves that ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. It also shows that people honored their king. And it shows the great riches of the ancient Egyptian civilization.