King Tutankhamun Exhibit - Indianapolis, Indiana

I am about a month late in posting this. Our trip was October 7, 2009

Tutankhamun The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs is the exhibition that we four travelers made the day trip to Indianapolis to see.

(Judie, Clara, myself, Pat)

Photography was actually not allowed. Some of these images I remembered seeing and I got them off the internet. Some of these are actual photos from the Indy exhibit, shot from the hip by someone before they were busted by security.

The exhibition features 50 objects from the tomb of Tutankhamun including the jewelry that adorned the mummy, the golden sandals that were on the mummy's feet and a beautifully decorated canopic jars that mummified his internal organs.

Decorated Canopic Jars

Golden Sandals

The treasure from the tomb included vast quantities of gold jewelry or gold inlaid items - a gold dagger, a wooden gold decorated inlaid throne, gold statues, carved cosmetic jars, ivory game board set, chests, and various boxes plus lots more.

Wooden gold decorated inlaid throne. Chests and various boxes.

British archaeologist Howard Carter and his sponsor, Lord Carnarvon spent a number of years searching for this tomb they thought might have escaped looters and archeologists. In November 1922, four rooms of King Tut’s nearly intact tomb were discovered. The exhibit includes four galleries that correspond to these four rooms: the antechamber, the annex, the treasury, and the burial chamber.

In the Burial Chamber:

The Pharaoh's mummified body was inside 3 nested coffinettes. The weight of the sarcophaguses was so heavy it took 8 men to lift it. King Tut’s body was carefully wrapped in white cloths, and a Funeral Death Mask was placed over his head.

The outer-first and second sarcophaguses were made of a wood, layered with beaten gold.

The second wood sarcophagus was by far the most elaborate and beautifully decorated of all three.

The third-inner sarcophagus which held his mummified body along with his Funeral Death Mask weighed more than the other two combined. It was only when the layers were removed that the third-inner sarcophagus revealed itself to be solid gold!

Funeral Death Mask

The original mask covering King Tut's head which rested on his shoulders weighed 220 pounds was ornamented with glass and semi precious stones and was made of pure solid gold!

In addition to the treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun, MANY ancient artifacts were featured- furniture, weaponry and statuary which highlight several of the most significant rulers of ancient Egypt such as Khafre, whose great pyramid is the only remaining structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world and Hatshepsut, the queen who became king.

Statue of King Khafre

Stela of Any in a chariot The commemorative stela was found in his tomb. It shows King Tut and Any, a scribe and steward, returning from an awards ceremony where he received from Akhenaten the “gold of honor” which he wears.

Royal Family

Depictions of Akhenaten (possibly his father, certainly a relative), were often featured with elongated heads. It is thought to be likely an exaggeration of a family trait, rather than a distinct abnormality.

The flail and the scepter are ancient royal insignia that almost all the Pharaonic kings are holding it as a sign for royal dignity.

Sarcophagus for Prince Thutmose’s cat: Cats played an important role in Egyptian religion. They were also household pets and could be valuable in controlling snakes and rodents. We Ladies have had a busy day and we are ready to start home