Tutankhamen’s tomb

KV62 is the standard Egyptological designation for the tomb of the young pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, now renowned for the wealth of treasure it contained. The tomb was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter, underneath the remains of workmen’s huts built during the Ramesside Period; this explains why it was spared from the worst of the tomb depredations of that time. KV is an abbreviation for the Valley of the Kings, followed by a number to designate individual tombs in the Valley. The tomb was densely packed with items in great disarray. Due to the state of the tomb, and to Carter’s meticulous recording technique, the tomb took eight years to empty, the contents all being transported to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Tutankhamun’s tomb had been entered at least twice, not long after he was buried and well before Carter’s discovery. The outermost doors of the shrines enclosing the king’s nested coffins were left opened, and unsealed.