Howard Carter, The Egyptologist That Discovered King Tut’s Tomb, Worked For The Cleveland Museum Of Art
Cleveland is a melting pot, and it has hosted people from all over the world… and the Cleveland Museum of Art echoes that sentiment by celebrating the vision of humans from all over the world. While its collections contain all sorts of magnificent pieces of modern art, there are a few ancient treasures in its collection that are world-renowned. Did you know that the Egyptian collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art is one of the finest such collections in the world? Believe it or not, the expertise of one of history’s greatest (and luckiest) Egyptologists helped shape this very collection. Are you brave enough to face the curse of King Tut’s tomb head-on and embrace the sensationalism of the era? Put on your thinking cap, because this tale is truly incredible.
In the early 1900s, Egypt's Valley of the Kings was assumed to have been fully excavated.... but young Egyptologist Howard Carter didn't quite buy into that belief.
Backed by the funding of Lord Carnarvon, British Egyptologist Howard Carter was working yet another season in the Valley of the Kings... and Lord Carnarvon was growing impatient, meaning he was seriously considering cutting funding. However, in 1922, Carter's team discovered ancient stone steps that led deep into the earth.
After uncovering stone steps that led down to an ancient doorway, Carter's team realized that the tomb (dubbed KV62 by archaeologists) had been reopened and entered in ancient times. Could there still be riches within it, or had tomb robbers had their way with KV62?
As you know, KV62 turned out to be the richest discovery in Egypt's history. When they created a hole in the door, Carter was asked if he could see anything. Holding up a candle, he marveled at the glitter of gold and famously responded, "Yes. Wonderful things."
There were, indeed, hundreds of artifacts from King Tut's life in the tomb... so many, in fact, that it took nearly eight years to catalog and remove everything.
And the process, unfortunately, was not quite so neat. In 2019, researchers at the Luxor Museum noticed a very old box in storage... not at all unusual for a museum, as archaeologists and other historical researchers frequently rush to clear out excavation sites to work around natural factors like weather and human factors like funding. Sometimes, things from these sites sit in museum storage for decades before a researcher has time to study them.
This box, however, wasn't from some miscellaneous dig. It was from King Tut's tomb, and it held pieces of little wooden boats that the young pharaoh was buried with. To this day, it seems, the mysteries of Tutankhamen's tomb are still coming to light.
Egyptomania gripped the entire world, and ancient Egyptian art bled into the world of modern fashion and design.
Of course, this international interest was fueled by the incredible discovery made by Howard Carter. Early rumors of "the curse of King Tut" doubtlessly fueled the sensationalism of it all, but quite frankly, that's where most people's knowledge of Howard Carter begins and ends. He discovered King Tut's tomb, then he died with the rest of the cursed archaeologists.... right?! No, actually. As it turns out, there's much to Carter's story that the general public does not know.
The Cleveland Museum of Art had actually started collecting ancient Egyptian art before the discovery of King Tut's tomb... and Howard Carter himself had helped to build it.
In a thesis for Kent State University, Christine M. Pienoski points out that Carter had helped procure artifacts for the museum up until 1922 when he... well, Howard Carter got kinda busy around that time. However, to this very day, visitors can marvel at the local museum's ancient Egyptian artifacts purchased by none other than Carter himself.
Carter actually worked as a part-time agent for several museums, including the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Carter eventually retired from archaeology, though he maintained a relationship with museums for years to come. He often hosted presentations on Egypt, and when he wasn't teaching, he was often cataloging his thoughts. However, fieldwork was a task for a younger man with more energy, and Carter was winding down.
In 1939, at the age of 64, Howard Carter succumbed to Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, his influence can be seen in the world around us to this day.
Ever visited Severance Hall in Cleveland? This magnificent landmark is a fantastic nod to how Egyptomania gripped Americans. Take a look at its interior architecture... you'll spot lotuses and papyrus hidden among its Art Deco elements. Howard Carter's discovery inspired trends like these, plus some of his own overseas discoveries and purchases can be seen in the Cleveland Museum of Art to this day.
When you check out the museum's collection, you can come face-to-face with one of Egypt's most famous (and most controversial) queens.
This New Kingdom stele depicts none other than Queen Nefertiti, the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten and stepmother of King Tut. Believe it or not, this piece was actually sold to the museum in 1976... but how fitting for remnants from Tut's early life to be displayed alongside artifacts procured by the very man who would discover his final resting place.
And, as the Cleveland Museum of Art is always free to visit, you can go see this collection in person anytime.
Be sure to reserve your ticket before you plan to visit... while it's free to visit the museum, they do currently limit crowds, so you'll need to plan in advance.
Isn’t it fascinating that the Egyptian collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art was partially collected by none other than Howard Carter? Cleveland is truly full of surprises, particularly when it comes to the local art museum. What’s your favorite exhibit there? Tell us in the comments!
Nikki is a lifelong Ohioan with a love for literature. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Akron and has enjoyed publishing her written work since 2007. She has a love of travel and does so frequently, though she believes that home is where the heart is — she continues to work in and around Cleveland as a digital content specialist to this day, working on everything from commercial scripts and social media posts to grassroots marketing initiatives.
