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Ancient Egypt Magazine Volume Three Issue Four -- January/February 2003 Netfishing
by Hapy An 80th anniversary
is not usually one that is particularly celebrated, apart from by a living
person and his or her family. However, such is the enduring interest in
Tutankhamun that when the 80th anniversary of the opening of his tomb came round
in November 2002, it was remembered by a number of events and activities. Interest in the
tomb does not seem to decline over time. Individual items and groups of items
are still being published as part of an on-going project by the Griffith
Institute in Oxford. While public attention seems to focus on the gold and
gilded items, which are numerous, equally important are the other artefacts,
which collectively create an enduring image of the life of the young king.
Included in his funerary equipment were personal items. And of course,
there is unceasing interest in the manner of his death. Why did he die so young?
Estimates put his death in his late teens, as Tutankhamun came to the throne of
Egypt as a young boy, a not uncommon occurrence. His death has
provided the inspiration for a highly educational web site to be found at
www.pekin.net/pekin108/wash/webquest/
where groups of students can take part in a quest to attempt to identify
whether or not Tutankhamun’s demise was of natural causes. The site, designed
by a teacher, provides links to other relevant sites where students, acting as
archaeologists, journalists and other interested parties can source information
to help them. The site has received official audited approval and essays
produced by students in the USA and Australia can be found there. One of the linked
sites is that of ‘Dr Dig’ of ‘Dig’ magazine, ‘an awesome online
resource’. Here students hungry for information not only on Tutankhamun but a
range of archaeological and historical subjects can dig around for what they
need. There are answers to many questions – but don’t expect to get your
homework done for you! Check out some of Dr Dig’s Tutankhamun knowledge on http://digonsite.com/drdig/archive.html Meanwhile, back at
the Tutankhamun quest, purists might argue that the overwhelming response seems
to be that yes, Tutankhamun did die under nefarious circumstances; but in the
process of reaching that conclusion, the investigators will have absorbed a
surprising amount of Egyptological information. The activities are
probably best carried out in a group or classroom situation, with a number of
machines. The good thing about it is that it will also inspire discussion, thus
bringing about much-needed time away from the screen as well. The National
Geographic web site has been mentioned in this column recently. One of their
prominent current features is a reminder of the role played by the magazine and
organisation in reporting the discovery back in the 1920’s. Arguably, this
provided the first real worldwide media coverage of an Egyptological discovery
– not surprising in view of the wealth of the tomb. This may have proved a
double- edged sword in terms of creating a precedent of massive public interest
in ongoing excavations for future archaeologists – certainly a headache for
the current generation. However, it played its major part in increasing
knowledge and interest in the subject. The atmospheric
original covers and photographs, along with reports by Maynard O. Williams, can
be found at www.nationalgeographic.com To
have a quick view reminder of the treasures, try www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/
That brings us last, but not least, to another
awesome online resource. The Griffith Institute, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford,
publishers of the impressive series of volumes, by leading experts, on the
treasures, has created a general archive that can be found at www.ashmol.ox.ac.uk/gri/4.html Within this can be
found particularly relevant pieces such as Howard Carter’s own diaries (www.ashmol.ox.ac.uk/gri/4sea1not.html)
and the ‘Anatomy of an excavation’ at www.ashmol.ox.ac.uk/gri/4tut.html with details
of the whole discovery. This is an extremely well-presented – indeed,
invaluable – resource which we’ll revisit in future pages. HAPY Back to Ancient Egypt Magazine - Volume 3 Issue 4 contents
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