The Gold Mask of Tutankhamun. How did they do it 3000 years ago?

Shami my grandchild

  The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter in 1922 is considered the most important archaeological find of the century. After years of painstaking work in the Valley of the Kings, Carter's patron, Lord Carnarvon, had warned him that that would be the last season of work because nothing significant had been found. On November 22 of that year, Carter's persistence finally paid off. Tutankhamun became a household name, and his magnificent treasures became the measuring stick for all future archaeological discoveries.

I’m a lover of history and I remember the first thing I asked on arrival at the hotel I was staying upon arrival – “where is the Museum?” I knew the pyramids would come later. I was longing to come face to face with especially artifacts found intact by Howard Carter in their original form. And no wonder …

“For the moment-an eternity it must have seemed to the others standing by- I was struck dumb with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the suspense any longer, inquired anxiously, ‘Can you see anything?’ it was all I could do to get out the words, ‘Yes, wonderful things.’”

The British archaeologist Howard Carter wrote this account of the moment that he, along with his sponsor Lord Carnarvon, opened the sealed tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun on Nov. 25, 1922 in the Valley of the Kings.

Tutankhamun’s four-room tomb, not seen since ancient times, contained more than 5,000 objects, including many beautiful carved and gold-covered items. A lifelike gold mask of Tutankhamun covered the head and shoulders of the royal mummy. As the world learned of the magnificent treasures, “King Tut” became a popular culture phenomenon all over the world.

And so in May 2015, I came face to face with a life like gold mask of the 19 year old king who ruled 3000 years ago. I remember staring at it in eternity – it is so beautiful. I wonder how they did it 3000 years ago.

I had visited a visited museum in Baltimore in US a while back. courtesy of Tom and Nancy Stuehler. I enjoyed the artifacts tremendously. But I  must say - nothing is complete without visiting the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It houses more than 100, 000 objects. To walk around the museum is to embark on an adventure through time. One of the most rewarding strategies is simply to walk around and see what catches your eye. But it’s hard to shake the sense that something even more stunning is waiting in the next room. I recommend a few highlights – follow the big crowds. Great stuff are easy enough to spot because they usually have crowds around them – but be sure to stop and see some of the lesser items, as they often do just as well, if not better, in bringing the world of the pharaohs back to life.

how did they really do that Gold mask? 

I took this photo - Pyramids of Giza