Travis Simpkins: Tutankhamen

Showing posts with label Tutankhamen. Show all posts

Monday, January 2, 2017

Ancient Egyptian Funerary Mask of King Tutankhamun. 1323 B.C. by Travis Simpkins

Ancient Egyptian Funerary Mask of King Tutankhamun. 1323 BC. by Travis Simpkins

Pastel Sketch of

The Funerary Mask of

Tutankhamun

Ancient Egyptian, 18th Dynasty

1323 B.C.

Gold, inlayed with colored glass and gemstones

Collection of

The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities

The Egyptian Museum, Cairo

by Travis Simpkins

The Mystery of King Tut's Tomb

For more info, please visit:

sca-egypt.org/egyptian_museum

Ancient Egyptian Mask of King Tutankhamun. by Travis Simpkins. Archaeologist Howard Carter

Sunday, December 11, 2016

"The Laughter of Dead Kings" by Elizabeth Peters

The Laughter of Dead Kings

by Elizabeth Peters

HarperCollins, 2008

Notes by Travis Simpkins

When the mummy of King Tutankhamun is stolen from his tomb in the Valley of the Kings, the pressure is on to find out who the culprits are that absconded with the priceless artifact… and to see to it's safe return. This is the basic mystery/suspense plot that Elizabeth Peters pens in The Laughter of Dead Kings as she returns with her perennial character, Vicky Bliss.

In the early chapters, I found it very hard to sympathize with the interests of the two main characters, Vicky Bliss and John Tregarth. Both are very snide, whiny, rude, contemptuous and spoiled figures with little regard for anything beyond their own narrow-minded personal wants. However, the supporting characters are well-rounded and really propel the story forward. The overall premise of the book, with intriguing insights into the world of international art theft and cultural looting, keeps the momentum going as well... and the finale is simply riveting.

To offer any further details would be a disservice to the text, rightfully conceived as a work of good-natured fiction.

Suffice to say, with fascinating locales like the Ancient Egyptian temples at Luxor and Karnak providing the backdrop, the action and suspense plays out in well-written and picturesque form. Character flaws aside, I did really enjoy the book. Perhaps the knowledge gained through the story's conclusion with better help my understanding of Bliss and Tregarth upon a second reading.

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters: Cornwall

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters: National Museum in Munich

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters: Valley of the Kings

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters: Tomb of King Tutankhamun

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters: Mummy of King Tut

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters: Tomb of King Tut

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters: Mummy of King Tut

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters: Mummy of King Tutankhamun

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters: Egyptian Museum of Cairo

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters: Bust of Queen Nefertiti

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters: Egyptian Museum of Cairo

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters: The Luxor Temple

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters: Temple of Karnak

The Laughter of Dead Kings. Elizabeth Peters:

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut

Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut

by Travis Simpkins

When Howard Carter discovered the treasure-filled tomb of King Tutankhamen in 1922, a new phase in Egyptomania sprang forth, fueled by the inherent mysteries surrounding the 18-year-old boy king. Produced for PBS in 2013, Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut does an admirable and comprehensive job of unraveling some of King Tut's enigmatic wrappings, so to speak. Guided by Egyptologist Chris Naunton, the 110 minute documentary looks at some of the key mysteries and elements surrounding the young pharaoh's death, and how his gold-filled tomb survived unmolested for 3,000 years. Fabulous observations and well-versed insights are provided by Dr. Melinda Hartwig, Associate Professor at Georgia State University, who is an expert in the field of Ancient Egyptian history and archaeological aesthetic elements. From his undersized and under-decorated tomb, second hand mask artifacts meant for Nefertiti and hasty mummification it is immediately clear that King Tutankhamen's entombment was a rushed and unexpected affair. Naunton, Hartwig, Salima Ikram and a host of forensic scientists reexamine the previous suspicion that King Tut was murdered and arrive at a focused and more sensible theory. Dr. Hartwig points out artwork featuring King Tut engaged in battle, and X-rays confirm that a major chest injury was surely the cause of death. It is concluded that Tutankhamen was struck by a chariot during a melee, the blunt force of the chariot wheel breaking his leg, pelvis and ribs which punctured his heart (the organ is missing from the mummy, which is rare). Because he died at such a young age, Tut's intended tomb was not complete and he was hastily put in a smaller chamber meant for his advisor (and ultimately, his successor), Ay. Ay's own tomb, by contrast, is much too grand as was surely intended for Tutankhamen. Further tests determine that the charred status of Tut's mummy was likely caused by the spontaneous combustion of linseed oil used in the rushed burial. As for how the tomb survived in pristine shape for 3,000 years… layers of sediment surrounding the tomb were produced by a flash flood (which likely occurred shortly after Tutankhamen's death), effectively sealing the entrance until Howard Carter's team uncovered it in 1922. Also, Tut's successors made pointed efforts to obscure his name from historical record, so it is probable that looters were never looking for the small tomb. Ever-informative and never dull, this expert documentary should be included amongst the definitive oeuvre of works on King Tutankhamen.