King Tut at the De Young Museum San Francisco

June 26, 2009 Through March 28, 2010 King Tut at the De Young Museum

On November 26, 1922, Lord Carnarvon stood behind Archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter as he peered into the tomb of the unknown Pharaoh Tutankhamun. According to Howard Carter himself, he was struck dumb with amazement and unable to speak, strange animals, statues and gold, everywhere the glint of gold, finally Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the suspense any longer asked Carter, "Do you see anything?" to which Carter replied, "Yes, wonderful things." Now you can view these same wonderful things belonging to King Tut at the de Young Museum in the exhibit, Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs June 27, 2009 through March 28, 2010.

King Tut at the de Young Museum focuses on the 18^th dynasty of the New Kingdom in ancient Egypt. The start of the exhibit features archaeological finds from the tombs of the predecessors of King Tut, funerary items as well as necessities in daily life which were always buried with the dead to bring comfort and ease in the afterlife. Of particular note, is the red gold coffin and funerary mask of the Lady Tjuya. Lady Tjuya was part of a non royal couple allowed to be buried in the Valley of the Kings, possibly the in-laws of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, making them the great grandparents of King Tut.

King Tut at the de Young Museum also tells the story of King Tut's father the Pharaoh Akhenaten. Akhanaten was the Pharaoh who literally banished the pantheon of Egyptian gods, replacing the polytheistic religion with a monotheistic religion worshipping just the god Aten. Akhenaten was wed to legendary beauty, Nefertiti, whose name roughly translates to "the perfect one has arrived." A life sized bust of Nefertiti discovered in 1915 on display in the exhibit illustrates the standard of beauty has changed little in the past 3000 years.