Tutankhamun (king Tut ) final part (4)

Annex Room

The smallest room within the tomb is known as the annex room. This room was given its name through Howard Carter. This tiny room was filled with many items such as oils, foods, wines, pottery, dishes, stools, games, and baskets. This room was the last to be documented by Howard Carter as it was deemed more difficult to examine due to the room being in disarray.

The annex room could be accessed through the left side of the tomb. A small door was cut out towards the bottom and placed between the legs of one of the three couches located within the Antechamber. Upon entering this room, it drops immediately three feet as if it were meant to be a step of some sort.

So why was the annex room left in a disorderly manner? It is believed the tomb had been robbed twice after the young pharaoh was set to rest. The first theory is based on the notion that the robbers rummaged through all the items within this room looking for smaller gold jewelry and figurines that could be easily pocketed. While looking for items to steal they moved everything about. Another theory is that necropolis police caught the robbers in the act of stealing and must have placed all the looted items back in a hasty bid to return all items to the king. The second part of this theory is that the necropolis guards may have been in a hurry to return the items and seal up the tomb to hide its location before it could be discovered again by thieves.

The lavish oils inside this room were of high value; however, it appears that the tomb robbers may have been more interested in the gold pieces. In fact, the many objects such as board games found within the annex chamber had their gold and silver game pieces stolen and were never found within the tomb. 

The excavation of this room began in October of 1927 and ending in 1928 during spring time. The room yielded 280 objects of the total 5000 documented and recorded within the entire tomb. 

Burial Chamber

The burial chamber of King Tut is the grandest room within the entire tomb. This room was colored a vibrant yellow with paintings of Tutankhamun (King Tut) in various representations. The murals on the wall have been a source of debate as many historians have come to believe they were purposely made large enough to cover the walls of the tomb quickly. Other tombs in the Valley of the Kings had more detailed paintings on the walls. When comparing these depictions to other prominent pharaohs buried in the valley, it leads many historians to believe the tomb burial was rushed.

The burial chamber walls have been divided up into four regions known as the northern wall, eastern wall, southern wall, and western wall. Each one of these walls has different depictions of the pharaoh ranging from his death to his afterlife journey.

The Northern Wall

This wall is viewable immediately upon entering the tomb through the Antechamber. The mural upon this wall is the most famous and has been photographed in countless books of Tutankhamun. The mural depicts three scenes of Tutankhamun. In one scene he is in the form of Osiris having the opening of the mouth ceremony performed on him by Aye who was his vizier dressed as a high ranking priest. This ceremony was done to Ancient Egyptian mummies and statues as this ritual brought life into them.

In the next scene and in the middle of the mural, Tutankhamun is seen as a young boy being greeted by the Goddess Nut. In her hands she is holding symbols that resemble the surface of water as if drawn by a young child. These symbols represent the Goddess welcoming Tutankhamun in his journey into the afterlife. This can almost be seen as a means to symbolize her comforting the pharaoh in his journey, reassuring him nothing bad is going to happen.
To the left side of the mural is Tutankhamun embracing Osiris. This scene shows the pharaoh perhaps being accepted into the afterlife. Behind him stands his Ka (his spiritual representation) embracing Tutankhamun.

The Eastern Wall

The eastern wall on the tomb is much more dramatic. Upon this wall, the king is being carried to his tomb by mourners, high officials of Upper and Lower Egypt, and possibly Horemheb towards the rear procession.
In this scene, Tutankhamun’s body is being slid across the ground upon a ship that has been anchored on a sled with a canopy used to shelter and protect his mummy.

The Southern Wall

The southern wall of the burial chamber was unfortunately damaged as there was no door to easily access the room. From the antechamber, Howard Carter chiseled his way through damaging a portrait of the Goddess Isis that would have been on the opposite side of the wall. Though a great deal of the painting on this wall was damaged, the other half shows Tutankhamun surrounded by the God Anubis and the Goddess Hathor. In their hands they are holding Ankhs which symbolize Tutankhamun’s eternal life in the Afterworld.

The Western Wall

The western wall is covered with 12 Baboons that represent the 12 hours throughout the night which Tutankhamun must pass through before getting into the Afterlife. This boat ride was important as all ancient Egyptians believed the pharaoh had to make this journey. For this reason, the boat was painted in the upper left hand corner with a scarab beetle representing the sun god. Worshiping this sun are two forms of Osiris within the boat. To the right side of this painting are other gods such as Ma’at and Horus to name a few.

The Contents of the Burial Chamber

The burial chamber encompassed a more sophisticated view in that it was not filled with hundreds of items such as the annex room, the treasury room, or the antechamber. The elegance of this room was made obvious through the reliefs on the wall and the large golden shine that encased two more shrines and Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus. The little space that was left between the large blue and gold shrine and the tomb walls of the northern wall included boat ores and an Imiut Fetish (emblem of Anubis) positioned ever so neatly across.

Though the chamber looked as if it housed very little items, the burial chamber inside the tomb had the most important and glorious treasure ever found within Egypt— Tutankhamun’s mummy, his solid gold coffin, and his death mask. 

Treasury Room

The treasury room was stocked with many items such as shrines, chests, boats, and two of King Tut’s believed stillborn daughters. This room could easily be accessed directly through the burial chamber on the eastern side of the room’s wall. Although this room could be easily accessed, a statue guard with a large portable shrine of the jackal-headed god named Anubis was strategically placed at the entrance.

Another magnificent item found within this room was a carved wooden shrine gilded in gold that contained four canopic jars of Tutankhamun. This shrine had four goddesses on each side named Selket, Isis, Nepthys, and Neith. Their presence around the shrine was used to ward off any evil and to safeguard the organs for eternity.

The canopic jars that were placed within this shrine were alabaster. They were finely carved and painted with black markings showcasing the pharaoh’s features in fine detail. These alabaster jars each contained a tiny coffinette that held the pharaohs organs—all of which were neatly nestled within the shrine.
Many smaller statues of the king were also placed amongst the treasure within this room. These statues were carved in wood and gilded in gold. There were a total of 34 statues that were placed in black resin shrines. Though the usage of these statues remains unclear, it is believed they were used during the ceremony upon the death of Tutankhamun or placed within the tomb for protection. The statues were in pairs. The most famous photograph of this shows the pharaoh hunting and standing upon the back of a black panther.

This room contained 14 boats as well. These boats acted much like shabti and were evoked by magic for the pharaoh to use in his afterlife and everyday proceedings thereafter. Some of the boats were intended to float the pharaoh through the 12 hours of night and darkness before the sun would rise again. All the boats within the tomb point toward the west.

Entrance Passage

The entrance passage consists of limestone with steps that descend deep into The Valley of the Kings. Once down the pathway a plaster wall is present. Embedded into the plaster wall is a stamp of a jackal and nine slaves, this representing Tutankhamun’s royalty. Farther into the tomb a second plaster door is stamped with many priest’s seals and King Tut’s royal seal. On this doorway in the top left hand corner the plaster wall shows signs of being entered. 

 

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