Tutankhamun Sample Collection

Type Collection

Summary Description: The box contains materials that were swept from the ground surfaces of the tomb of Tutankhamun (1334-1325 BC) 18th Dynasty in 1933, currently stored in the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo (Egypt) after it were kept in the Luxor Museum storage from 1933 till 2017. The box contains materials such as organic and plant remains, wood, textiles, seeds, fruits, clay sealed, pottery shards, resin, painted layer, golden pieces, beads, ivory, bones and materials used by the excavators of the tomb such as remains of cigarette, papers of telegraph and newspapers.

Extent

Other object type: Plant remains, wood, textiles, seeds, fruits, clay sealed, pottery shards, resin, painted layer, golden pieces, beads, ivory, bones and materials used by the excavators of the tomb such as remains of cigarette, papers of telegraph and newspapers.

Material type: Bronze
Ceramic, glass, enamel
Clay sealed
Copper
Earth
Gold
Ivory
Metal
Mortar
Paint
Paper
Pigment
Plant materials - others
Raw material to make pigment
Resin
Stone
Textile, fabric, dyes
Wood

Statement of Significance: The samples from Tutankhamun tomb were found in a box named as the tomb trash. The samples are converted to a treasure material which provides a broad overview of the technology and composition of fragments associated with artifacts, their formation and preservation and the principal methods of analysis. It also demonstrates the impact that this field has made for understanding the use of artifacts in the past, allowing to shed new light on the symbolism and importance of these materials in ancient Egypt.

Type of users: Anyone interested in understanding the materials and technology of artifacts from Tutankhamun tomb and ancient Egypt in general.

Keywords: Archaeology
Archives
Conservation
Documentation
Education/Didactic
Excavation
History of technology
Industrial archaeology
Museology
Non-destructive technique
Paleonthology
Reference collection
Technical art history