The discovery of the intact tomb of Tutankhamun in November 1922 changed the world. Against the backdrop of Egyptian Independence, the discovery set new standards for archaeology and brought Egypt to the forefront of global consciousness. A century later, that fascination has not dimmed. Tutankhamun and his tomb have been beset with controversies to explore, from his exclusion from ancient historical records due to his association with the ‘heretical’ Amarna period, to the deaths of those involved in the excavation prompting fears of a ‘curse’, and a recent theory that the tomb may yet contain the concealed burial of Nefertiti.

DELIVERY MODE

• Hybrid (Face-to-Face & Online simultaneously)

SUGGESTED READING

• R. B. Parkinson, Tutankhamun: Excavating the Archive, (Bodleian Library, 2022) ISBN: 978-1851245857
• N. Reeves, The complete Tutankhamun, (Thames and Hudson: 1990) ISBN: 0500050589
• N. Reeves, The burial of Nefertiti, Amarna Royal Tombs Project Occasional Paper 1, (2015)
• J. Williamson, Amarna Period, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, (2015)
• Griffith Institute, Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation

COURSE OUTLINE

• The historical context of Tutankhamun
• The excavation of the tomb and its on-going management
• The role of archives and museums in preserving the tomb’s contents and records
• Controversies around the excavation, including the ‘Pharaoh’s curse’, and the proposal that the tomb of Nefertiti is contained within this tomb
• The legacy of Tutankhamun on the development of archaeological methods and cultural ownership, its significance for Egyptian identity, and global ‘Egyptomania’

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Have a sound basic knowledge of the reign of Tutankhamun, his tomb, and its excavation
2. Recognise the impact of the tomb of Tutankhamun on the development of archaeological methods, its relation to Egyptian nationalism, and global significance
3. Critically consider issues such as hidden voices in the archaeological record, the management of the tomb, and current research