Howard Carter

Howard Carter
Chicago Daily News, Inc., photographer · Public domain · source
Name	Howard Carter
Caption	Carter in 1924
Birth date	9 May 1874
Birth place	Kensington, London, England
Death date	2 March 1939 (aged 64)
Death place	Kensington, London, England
Occupation	Archaeologist, Egyptologist
Known for	Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun

Howard Carter was a pioneering British archaeologist and Egyptologist whose name became permanently linked to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. His meticulous excavation of the intact Tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings in 1922 captivated the world and revolutionized the understanding of Ancient Egypt. While his career was defined by this singular achievement, it was also marked by significant professional struggles and controversies that followed him long after the discovery.

Early life and education

Born in Kensington, London, Carter was the youngest son of the animal portrait painter Samuel John Carter. In poor health as a child and receiving little formal education, he developed his artistic talents under his father's tutelage. His connection to Egyptology began in 1891 when, through family connections with the Amherst family, he was recommended to join an archaeological survey team led by Percy Newberry at the British Museum. This opportunity took him to Egypt, where he was employed by the Egypt Exploration Fund to record and copy inscriptions and reliefs at sites like Beni Hasan and Deir el-Bersha.

Archaeological career

Carter's early career was shaped by his apprenticeship under the renowned archaeologist Flinders Petrie at Tell el-Amarna, where he learned rigorous excavation techniques. He later secured a position as the first chief inspector of antiquities for Upper Egypt and Nubia for the Egyptian Antiquities Service. In this role, based in Luxor, he supervised key sites including the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari and the Valley of the Kings. A dispute with French tourists in 1905 led to his resignation, after which he worked as a draftsman and antiquities dealer before being introduced in 1907 to George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, a wealthy aristocrat who became his patron and financed his excavations.

Discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb

After several seasons of fruitless digging in the Valley of the Kings, Lord Carnarvon considered withdrawing his financial support. Carter persuaded him to fund one final season, which began in November 1922. On November 4, Carter's workmen discovered a step cut into the bedrock, leading to a sealed doorway stamped with the seals of the Royal Necropolis. On November 26, with Carnarvon present, Carter made a small hole in the second sealed doorway and, by candlelight, first glimpsed the "wonderful things" of the antechamber. The subsequent decade-long clearance of the tomb, cataloging over 5,000 artifacts including the iconic Mask of Tutankhamun, was a monumental feat of modern archaeology, meticulously documented by Carter and his team, which included photographer Harry Burton and conservator Alfred Lucas.

Later life and legacy

Following the clearance of the tomb, Carter retired from active fieldwork. He spent his later years as a collector and lecturer, occasionally advising institutions like the British Museum and the Detroit Institute of Arts on their Egyptian collections. He published several works, including the popular three-volume account *The Tomb of Tutankhamen*. His health declined in the 1930s, and he died of lymphoma in London in 1939. Carter's legacy is fundamentally tied to his methodological approach; his systematic recording and preservation of the tomb's contents set new standards for archaeological practice. The discovery also sparked a global wave of "Egyptomania", profoundly influencing popular culture, art, and fashion in the Roaring Twenties.

Controversies and criticism

Carter's career was not without significant controversy. His methods, though advanced for the time, were later criticized, including the sometimes rough handling of objects and the use of hot knives to separate the Golden Throne from its hardened resin. A major dispute erupted with the Egyptian Antiquities Service over access to the tomb and the division of finds, leading to a work stoppage in 1924. Carter was also accused, though never formally charged, of pilfering small artifacts from the tomb, a suspicion fueled by items that later appeared in private collections and museums after his death. Furthermore, his sometimes secretive and possessive attitude towards the discovery, and his role in perpetuating the sensationalized myth of the "Curse of the Pharaohs" following Lord Carnarvon's death, attracted criticism from scholarly contemporaries.

Category:British archaeologists Category:Egyptologists Category:1874 births Category:1939 deaths