How a struggling artist turned archaeologist finally located the lost tomb of Tutankhamun

History · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Howard Carter began his career in Egypt not as an archaeologist, but as a young artist sketching temple reliefs. After losing his government position, he spent years in Luxor, driven by a singular obsession: to excavate the Valley of the Kings. His persistence eventually led to the most famous discovery in history.

Born in London in 1874, Carter arrived in Egypt at age 17 to document artwork in tombs. He learned rigorous scientific methods from Flinders Petrie, a pioneer who revolutionized archaeology by emphasizing controlled, recorded excavation. Despite his technical promise, Carter’s early career was volatile; he served as chief inspector of antiquities in Lower Egypt but was dismissed after a confrontation with tourists.

Following his departure from the antiquities service, Carter lived in Luxor, supporting himself by selling watercolors to tourists. He remained fixated on the Valley of the Kings, a barren site where previous excavators—most notably Theodore Davis—had already unearthed numerous royal tombs. While Davis lacked scientific patience, he successfully located significant finds from the 18th Dynasty, including the tomb of Queen Tiye’s parents and the mysterious KV55.

Carter’s breakthrough occurred on November 4, 1922, when he discovered the entrance to Tutankhamun’s tomb. His diary entry from that day simply reads, “First steps of Tomb Found.” When he finally peered into the dark chamber, he famously described the sight to his patron, Lord Carnarvon, as “wonderful.” The tomb contained the burial of the nineteen-year-old pharaoh, who died in 1323 BC.

Today, the Griffith Institute in Oxford preserves the definitive record of this dig. The archive houses Carter’s original notebooks, diagrams, and glass plate negatives, which capture the tomb’s contents exactly as they appeared upon opening. These records reveal a scene far more immediate than the conserved treasures displayed in museums today, showing objects still adorned with the flowers and linens placed there over three millennia ago.

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