Conservation and Management of the Tomb of Tutankhamen

A program of integrated conservation and management of the tomb and its wall paintings, to ensure a sustainable future

Project Details

Three people perform conservation work on the walls of the Tomb of King Tutankhamen

About

Goal

The Tomb of Tutankhamen is one of the most heavily visited sites in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. Egyptian authorities expressed particular concern that the large numbers of visitors could be contributing to the tomb's physical deterioration. This project studied and investigated these concerns following a values-based conservation methodology in order to design and implement a plan for the conservation and management of the tomb and its wall paintings that will ensure its future preservation.

Outcomes

  • During the first phase of the project, an assessment of the history, significance, and condition of the tomb and its wall paintings was conducted and a comprehensive report on the findings completed.
  • A report on the scientific investigation of the tomb wall paintings was completed in 2012, contributing to the development of a detailed conservation proposal during the second phase of the project.
  • In the third phase, project results were disseminated through print, visual, and web-based media, promoting good conservation and management practice in Egypt, enhancing professional capabilities, and advancing the general public's understanding of conservation practices.
  • Improvements to aging tomb infrastructure included replacement and upgrading of visitor walkways, protective barriers, lighting, ventilation, and signage.
  • A visitor carrying capacity was established and a visitation policy crafted to avoid overcrowding in the tomb.

Background

The Tomb of Tutankhamen (KV 62) is in the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank of the Nile River, at the modern-day city of Luxor. The tomb was part of the necropolis of ancient Thebes during the New Kingdom (ca. 1548–1086 BCE) and is today a World Heritage site. Discovered in November 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter, the treasure-filled eighteenth-dynasty tomb of the short-lived pharaoh Tutankhamen (r. 1328–1319 BCE) attained instant and lasting fame. Though KV 62 is one of the smallest of the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, it was found with its spectacular funerary contents virtually intact.

Project History

Partners

Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities