Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Unearthing Ancient Worlds: The Tomb of King Tutankhamen
Nonfiction
For ages 10 and up
Lerner, 2008 ISBN: 978-0822575061
King Tutankhamen was only eighteen years old when he died. He had been on the throne for ten years, and he left behind a young widow. After his death, as per tradition in ancient Egypt, the young king's body was mummified, and his remains were placed in a secret tomb along with all the things that he would need in the hereafter. The location of his tomb remained a secret for more than three thousand years until the day when an archeologist called Howard Carter found the entrance of the tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
In 1907 a well known archeologist called Theodore Davis found a looted tomb in the Valley of the Kings that he was sure was the one used for Tutankhamen. By 1914 he had given up working in the valley because he was convinced that there was nothing left to find there. Howard Carter was sure that the tomb of Tutankhamen was still in the valley, and with the backing of a wealthy English aristocrat called Lord Carnarvon, Howard Carter set about looking for the tomb.
After five unsuccessful excavations, Lord Carnarvon was ready to abandon the search, but Carter was not. And, in the end, his persistence paid off. On November 26th, 1922, Howard Carter found what he was looking for, and one of the greatest archeological finds ever was discovered.
In this excellent title in the Unearthing Ancient Worlds series the authors not only show children how archeological sites are found and excavated, but they also tell readers a bit about Tutankhamen's life and his death. They help readers to better understand the culture that the young king lived in, and they give readers an excellent picture of what it was like to open his tomb to gaze in wonder at the treasures that lay beyond.
This title is full of annotated photographs, informative articles, and more.
