Experience the majesty of Tut's tomb in both word and photos

books:


	• Behind the Sealed Door: The Discovery of the Tomb and Treasures of Tutankhamun Irene Swinburne, Laurence Swinburne Atheneum, 1977 - 96 pages average customer review:based on 1 review
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Experience the majesty of Tut's tomb in both word and photos

This book is sometimes identified as a book for young people, but I think it is a perfect book for young and old alike. After all, the wonders of King Tut have thrilled one generation after another of youngsters since the remarkable find in 1922, and that thrill rarely dies as one grows older. Behind the Sealed Door: The Discovery of the Tomb and Treasures of Tutankhamun is a magnificent book. Irene and Laurence Swinburne wrote a short narrative of the amazing discovery as it progressed under the watchful eye of archaeologist Howard Carter, but one is most impressed by the numerous photographs lavishly decorating virtually every page of the book. There are more than 100 photographs in all of the tomb and its priceless treasures, many of them taken by photographer Harry Burton. Of these, 42 are full-color photographs of indescribably beautiful artifacts that lay buried in the sands of the Egyptian desert for over 3300 years. There are wide shots showing the appearance of parts of the tomb as Howard Carter first saw them as well as close-up photographs of particularly gorgeous artifacts. You also get a mylar insert of the coffins and mummy (which I, unfortunately, was not able to examine because my library made it impossible to remove the insert without basically tearing the book apart).

The Swinburnes do a wonderful job of summarizing the process of the archaeological mission and the pain-staking work of removing the artifacts with extreme care, pointing out that it took a good five years of seasonal work to accomplish everything. They do not, however, give as much attention as I would like to the fact that Howard Carter oftentimes had to secure the site and walk away for months on end before he could return and continue exploring his incredible find the following dig season; that must have been terribly hard to do. The narrative effectively captures the rapture and wonder experienced by Carter and those around him as they made one incredible discovery after another in the tomb complex. Somewhat to my surprise, however, the "curse" is not mentioned in any way, shape, or form (although the death of Lord Carnarvon is addressed briefly). Obviously, the artifacts, treasures, and mummy of King Tutankhamun are the central theme of the book.

Behind the Sealed Door is as close as any reader can come to experiencing the historical importance and awe-inspiring majesty of Howard Carter's remarkable find. The photographs speak for themselves, and the short narrative contributes greatly to the overall presentation, presenting a number of facts that are not widely known about the discovery process. This is a wonderful book for those already fascinated with the Egyptian civilization, and it makes for a fantastic introduction to the wonders of King Tut's tomb for those yet to explore the tantalizing secrets of Ancient Egypt.

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Describes the discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb and the treasures found inside.