British archaeologist Howard Carter is seen with his team in an archive BBC clip from 1936. That moment was very special for him and his team. He became the first person in 3,300 years of history to appear before the king of Egypt. This happened on February 12, 1924, which was shown in this clip.
He said, "33 centuries had passed since the last time a human stepped on the floor on which we stood. Yet there were signs of recent human presence all around us."
Now, nearly 90 years later, archaeologist Howard Carter's clear, composed voice sounds like an ancient relic itself.
When he spoke on BBC Radio in 1936, many years had passed since the discovery of Tutankhamun's treasure-filled tomb.
According to BBC Archives, Tutankhamen was the 11th pharaoh or king of the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt.
He was not particularly famous for his reign. He gained fame because archaeologist Howard Carter discovered his completely preserved tomb.
The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb preserved almost in its original form was considered miraculous by Carter and his expert team. This discovery made him famous all over the world.
After this, a new fascination arose among people for everything related to ancient Egypt.
Carter recalled that unique feeling in a program reviewing the events of 1924.
This realization came to him on February 12, 1924, when his team finally reached the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun.
Sarcophagus is a stone coffin in which a dead body remains buried without any damage for thousands of years.
Carter's astonishment and thrill can still be felt when he mentions such things as "a bowl half full of mortar, a lamp blackened with soot, and pieces of wood left on the floor by a careless carpenter."
He said, "We passed two chambers. But when we reached a golden temple-like structure, the doors of which were closed and sealed, we realized that we were going to witness a scene which hardly any person in our time has had the privilege of seeing."
He removed the precious seal and opened the door. A second structure appeared inside it, which was even more magnificent than the first in terms of workmanship.
When the door slowly opened, in front of them was a huge sarcophagus made of yellow quartzite stone. It was a stone coffin, in which the body of the pharaoh (king) was kept.
There was no way to move forward unless its stone lid was removed. The weight of this lid was approximately 1,130 kg.
It was lifted with the help of a complex pulley system in the presence of special guests and dignitaries.
When Carter removed the stone lid, light reached inside the coffin.
He said, "The scene before our eyes was so amazing that we were left breathless with astonishment."
He said, "Inside appeared a golden statue of the young king, whose workmanship was extremely magnificent. It was only the outermost lid of a series of three coffins."
He said, "These three coffins were placed inside each other. Inside them, the mortal remains of the young king Tutankhamen were safe."
Despite making one of the world's greatest archaeological discoveries, Howard Carter had no formal education or training.
He left school at the age of 15. Seeing his painting talent, an aristocratic family patronized him. The family lived near their rural home in Norfolk, England.
The Amherst family's Didlington Hall contained the largest private collection of Egyptian objects in Britain. These objects and the stories related to them increased Carter's interest in Ancient Egypt.
At the age of 17, his drawing skills got him work as a draftsman and tracer in Egypt.
He reached Egypt at a time when work was going on rapidly in the field of archaeology. These expeditions were often financed by wealthy hobbyists and the British aristocracy.
After this, Carter learned the intricacies of archeology while working for more than two decades.
To a large extent, good luck also played a role in the surprising discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb.
Carter had been digging in Kings Valley for several years, but had had little success. This area, located west of the Nile River, was the main burial site of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt.
The entrance to Tutankhamen's tomb was long hidden under layers of ancient debris.
For this reason, it neither came into the sight of grave robbers nor within the reach of archaeologists.
He got his decisive success in November 1922. At that moment Carter picked up a candle and peered into the darkness through a small crack made in the door.
His wealthy patron Lord Carnarvon, standing nearby, nervously asked if he could see anything.
According to the famous story, Carter replied, "Yes, wonderful things."
Carter wrote in his diary, "As my eyes became accustomed to the light, the objects in the room gradually began to emerge from the mist."
He wrote, "Strange animal figures, statues and gold. The glitter of gold was visible everywhere."
This entire treasure was kept to accompany Tutankhamen on his journey to the afterlife.
Tutankhamun, the 11th pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt, died at the age of about 17. It is believed that he assumed the throne at the age of eight or nine.
The reason for his death is still unclear. There are different theories about this.
Some people suspect murder, while others believe that he died in an accident while hunting.
This discovery in November 1922 was just the beginning. This revealed what Carter described as the outer chamber of the tomb.
It took his team another 15 months to reach Tutankhamen's stone coffin.
When The Times newspaper published its special report on the discovery, it described it as "the most sensational Egyptological discovery of this century".
It was with this discovery that people's fascination towards King Tut began. In the 1920s, a kind of obsession with ancient Egypt spread throughout the world.
Its influence became visible in fashion, art, design, silent films and even jazz music.
Egyptian motifs such as the pyramid and the lotus flower began to be used in clothing, jewelery and Art Deco designs.
After this discovery, Carter and Lord Carnarvon became international celebrities.
However this period did not last long. Lord Carnarvon died of blood poisoning just a few months after the tomb was revealed to the public. It is said that this infection occurred after an insect bite.
His death gave a new twist to the story of Tutankhamen. He was an archeology lover and is known throughout the world for providing financial assistance to the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb.
After this, stories of the mummy's curse and Tutankhamen's revenge started spreading. These stories further increased the mystery and myths related to this discovery.
All this was happening at a time when Egypt was going through political turmoil. Egypt was occupied by the British Army since 1882.
But in the beginning of 1922 it got partial independence.
Carter was working with the permission of the Egyptian government. The Egyptian government wanted the most important antiquities to be kept in its capital, Cairo.
Carter was considered to have a very hot temper. He was often in conflict with the Egyptian Antiquities Service. This organization used to monitor their excavation work.
Tutankhamen gradually became a symbol of the country's struggle for freedom from colonial influence.
The names of many Egyptians who provided local knowledge and experience in this search were later almost disappeared from the story.
In addition to the laborers who cleaned the tomb site, Carter also worked with a number of skilled foremen. These included people like Ahmed Geriger, Gad Hasan, Hussain Abu Awad and Hussain Ahmed Saeed.
When 3 thousand year old trumpets sounded on BBC
Tutankhamen's mummified body remained in the Valley of the Kings. But many other treasures related to it were later taken to the Cairo Museum.
There were also two trumpets among them. One of these was made of silver and the other of bronze.
In 1939 these trumpets became part of an extraordinary BBC radio programme.
Radio producer Rex Keating convinced the Egyptian Antiquities Service to allow the BBC to broadcast a voice that had not been heard for nearly 3,000 years.
Musician James Tappern was chosen to perform at this event. It was estimated that approximately 15 crore people worldwide would listen to this broadcast.
Before the program started, Rex Keating cautioned the audience. He said that it is not easy to produce clear sound from these two trumpets.
But his worries proved wrong. The mysterious sound of these two ancient instruments was heard clearly and clearly.
Feeling relieved, Keating concluded the program in dramatic fashion.
"After more than 3,000 years of silence, these two voices from Egypt's glorious past are now echoing throughout the world," he said.
However, Carter did not live to hear this broadcast.
He died of cancer at the age of 64 just weeks before the program aired.
In the 1970s, people's fascination with Tutankhamen increased again. The reason for this was the international success of the "Treasures of Tutankhamun" exhibition.
The biggest attraction of this exhibition was the gold mask of Tutankhamen. More than 16 lakh people saw this exhibition held in the British Museum in 1972.
Even today it is considered the most popular exhibition of the British Museum. After this the exhibition went to the Soviet Union for two years.
Then between 1976 and 1979 it was screened in six cities of America.
There was so much enthusiasm among the people about it that the famous comedian Steve Martin even made a comedy song named "King Tut".
"I think it's a national shame that it's being over-commercialized through mascots, toys, T-shirts and posters," he said flatly on Saturday Night Live.
This tomb still remains a mystery
"We're talking about over 5,000 different objects," he said. "I think the sheer number of them makes this subject somewhat difficult."
He said, "Some of the objects in this group are extremely difficult to understand and organize, because no other examples like them exist."
In 2025, the entire contents of Tutankhamun's tomb were displayed for the first time in a new museum.
Dr. Tarek Tawfiq, former head of the Grand Egyptian Museum, told the BBC: "This way visitors can experience the entire tomb. It's the same experience that Howard Carter had more than 100 years ago."
This museum is built near the Great Pyramid of Khufu located in Giza. This pyramid is considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
The golden mask of Tutankhamen is now kept in the museum. But his mummy is still safe in Kings Valley.
It was here that Carter and his team found surprising "signs of recent human presence."
In his broadcast on BBC, Carter also mentioned a small garland of flowers. This garland was placed on the golden outer lid of the sarcophagus.
Carter believed that this was probably the young queen's last farewell gift to her late husband.
He said, "Amidst all that royal splendor those few withered flowers were the most beautiful things."
"They made us realize how short a time even 3,300 years really seems," he said.
