Statement of Significance
King Tutankhamun is easily the most widely recognised Pharaoh from Ancient Egypt. Along with his mummified remains, Egyptologist Howard Carter and his team also excavated many objects in which he was buried with such as his Funerary Mask. These objects are of great importance to modern society as the continuously prove to us How, When and why the Egyptians did everyday tasks the way they did and how connected modern Egyptians are to these customs.
Ancient Egyptians in the 18th Dynasty believed that the Kings were gods and held ideals that there was life after death. To their knowledge, if they did not treat their dead kings with respect, the Nile river would not rise and they would have a bad farming season, Leading to the mummified remains of many significant individuals.
This artefact holds great significance for us today both as individuals and as a society. The Mask shows us how the Egyptians went about their everyday lives and this helps us to see the connections between how we live whether or not they have influenced our activities.
Due to the state in which King Tutankhamun and his possessions were found, future generations will be able to see the extent in which the Ancient Egyptians went to aid their kings into the afterlife and to the depth in which religion impacted their everyday lives.
Overall, King Tutankhamun’s tomb and Funerary mask have provided us with many specific details on life in 18th Dynasty Egypt and has proven to be crucial in further studies of this time period.
Conservation and Management of Tutankhamun’s Funerary Mask
Although Tutankhamun’s Funerary mask was found in astonishing condition, Over the years since removal from the tomb, the curators have encountered many issues with its conservation. One of the most well known cases being that of his botched beard job. Conservation and management of the item began on site after its discovery with Howard Carter cataloging every item in the tomb. Which without we may have misplaced the Artefact and not have learnt what we have from it so far.
Long Term management is crucial for the mask and this is achieved by constant monitoring of the artefact. It is important that any occurring damage to the mask be identified early on so the curators can decide what treatment is best to be applied. Where possible a long term solution is put in place. In the past this has included removing the glue from the secretly done beard job and replacing it back on with beeswax a more permanent, although more traditional, natural way of fixing the damage. Even though this achieved a more desirable finish to the overall conservation of the mask, this has caused cosmetic damage in the form of scratches, which unfortunately are not fixable at this point in time.
Many suggestions have been made to aid in the conservation of the Mask including:
- Training programs for volunteers.
- Seeking more funding.
- Taking the Mask off display for periods of the year.
None of which have been applied to this day.
Artefacts from the Tomb of Tutankhamun
Upon discovery of the tomb it was revealed that King Tutankhamun was buried with many of his treasures. These included gold, jewellery, statues and Oars to ‘ferry the king’s barque [boat] across the waters of the Nether World.” (Howard Carter, 1923)
Without these items a lot of the context in which the pharaoh had lived and died would have been lost. With these items we are able too see just how Egyptian kings lived and the beliefs of his followers.
The Mask was found attached to Tutankhamuns mummified remains in the 18th century. It was placed over the linen bandages in which his whole body was wrapped. His remains were then placed in sarcophagus’ which was believed to protect the King in the afterlife.
Along with these major items, many more artefacts were found which are crucial to our study of Ancient Egypt as a functioning society. These Include: Fine clothing, perfumes, lamps, weapons, furniture, jewellery and chariots to name a few. All of these Artefacts have been used in defining the context in which King Tutankhamun lived and died.
Detailed assessment of the mask
Tutankhamun’s mask is one of the worlds most recognised artefacts. It is made in the image of the Pharaoh from materials such as coloured glass, gold and quartz as well as farence and obsidian. It is believed that making the mask in the image of the deceased will aid their spirit in being able to find their body in the afterlife. This was a wide belief in Armana, Egypt, the birthplace of the King that slowly faded out as a tradition over time.
The masks condition when found was unbelievable to both Howard carter who wrote in his journal; “ and the public, who flocked to the Pyramids to try and get a glimpse of the King. The mask holds many answers to questions, egyptologists have held for years such as the depth of Egypts religious beliefs. This was answered by the engraved sections on the shoulders and back of the neck. In the Scripture it states “…Your right eye is the night bark [of the sun god], your left eye is the day bark, your eyebrows are [those of] the Ennead of the Gods, your forehead is [that of] Anubis, the nape of your neck is [that of] Horus, your locks of hair are [those of] Ptah-Soker. [You are] in front of the Osiris [Tutankhamun], he sees thanks to you, you guide him to the goodly ways, you smite for him the confederates of Seth so that he may overthrow your enemies before the Ennead of the Gods in the great Castle of the Prince, which is in Heliopolis…the Osiris, the king of Upper Egypt Nebkheperura, deceased, given life like Ra.” (Book of the Dead).
Proving that the Egyptians belief in the Gods, and how highly they thought of their Leaders went deeper than most people today could believe.
In 2015 Tutankhamun’s beard fell off and was reattached secretly using super glue this resulted in a law suit which ended with huge fines and loss of jobs for museum staff involved. The repair job was botched and was almost irreversible due to staff wanting to get it back on display quickly. “The mask should have been taken to the conservation lab but they were in a rush to get it displayed quickly again and used this quick drying, irreversible material.” (Museum’s AP Report)
Conclusion
The discovery of King Tutankhamun’s Tomb, Body and Mask have resulted in much needed attention being brought to Egypt and its great history. Though the Mask i firmly believe that we have learnt many practices of the 18th dynasty Egyptians and have been able to make comparison to our own lives. Making this discovery a priceless one.