Egyptomania!

What comes to mind when you think of King Tut?

Is it a room full of golden Egyptian treasures? Intrepid 20th-century travelers allegedly cursed for their discovery? The sad tale of a “boy king” who left this world too soon?

It’s certainly true that Tut’s tomb is a universally celebrated symbol of ancient Egypt. Discovered in 1922 by archaeologist Howard Carter, the tomb’s trove of funerary objects—furniture, jewelry, clothing, and elaborate wall paintings among them—captured the popular imagination in unprecedented ways.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the site’s discovery. Since our collective fascination with ancient Egypt has little changed, and heavy tourism to Tut’s tomb continues to this day, much has been done to preserve it for generations to come, including conservation efforts led by a team from the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. But let’s first delve into what initially drove the discovery of Tut’s resting place.

Why the Obsession with Ancient Egypt?

Kent Weeks, an American Egyptologist, explains Egyptomania this way: “Egyptomania means two things. First, it’s the interest in ancient Egypt in popular culture—National Geographic television specials, films like The Mummy—things that appeal to the ordinary person on the street. Second is the enthusiasm with which modern people take bits and pieces of ancient Egyptian culture and insert them into contemporary culture in things like architecture, design, or objects.”

During the Roman occupation of the Egyptian province, it was popular to incorporate objects like statues of Egyptian deities into sanctuaries and homes in what is now Italy. Artisans created if not direct copies of Egyptian objects, then at least their modern interpretations of them, the result being a curious blend of both cultures. These “Egyptianized” pieces came to define what Europeans and others considered Egyptian.

An example of this Roman adaptation of Egyptian motifs is a marble statue of the Egyptian god Bes from the 2nd to mid-3rd century CE. Bes was the protector of pregnant women, as his prominent genitals might suggest, but absent are the details found in Egyptian representations, like his ostrich-plume headdress, oversized head, and leonine ears. His beaded belt and wolf’s-head amulet are also more representative of Roman dress, and he likely served as a fountain ornament rather than a treasured godly statuette.

On a grander scale, the pyramidal tomb of Roman magistrate Gaius Cestius in Rome is unmistakable in its homage to Egyptian heritage, albeit on a much smaller scale than the pyramids of Giza.

The invasion of Egypt by French general Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798 brought a resurgence of interest. For his expedition, Napoleon assembled a team of 167 scholars and scientists, known as the Commission of the Sciences and Arts, and charged them with gathering as much information as they could about the art, culture, and history of the region.

Although the French were eventually driven out of Egypt, the commission’s work endured, resulting in their publication of The Description of Egypt and Vivant Denon’s Travels in Upper and Lower Egypt— reports that enchanted populations across Europe and elsewhere. The commission’s efforts also led to the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, one of the world’s most important archaeological finds and the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Carter’s Big Score

At the beginning of the 20th century, Egyptian tomb excavations and new discoveries were frequent, and just as often, they made headlines. Egypt had become overrun by archaeologists and their wealthy patrons, the latter hoping to take home their share of artifacts for display both in their personal collections and in museums.

Caught up in the romance of foreign travelers’ accounts, those unable to visit Egypt created their own fantasies. In the United States, Europe, and elsewhere, it was fashionable to decorate one’s home in the “Egyptian” style. Seeing mummies as objects of curiosity rather than human beings deserving of dignity, some devotees even hosted real and fake mummy “unrolling ceremonies” in homes, theaters, and hospitals.

“What’s interesting about the discovery of Tut’s tomb is, that’s when things are beginning to change in Egypt,” says Lori Wong, Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Senior Lecturer in Conservation at the Courtauld Institute in London, and a former GCI staff member who worked on the conservation of Tut’s tomb. “The idea of foreigners coming in and excavating and taking whatever they wanted had essentially ended, and Egypt was increasingly asserting control over its heritage.”

After the discovery and excavation of the tomb, Egypt retained ownership of most of the objects. Many of these then toured the world in one of several Tut-related exhibitions and will eventually have a home in the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.

Throughout the rest of the 20th century, archaeological practice in Egypt became less about collecting “treasures” and more about documenting, researching, and protecting what was found. Tourism continued, but so did the understanding that there was a finite supply of fresh discoveries. Plus, the conservation field was beginning to grow, offering a new generation of experts who could develop best practices for preserving ancient tombs and other sites.

“The modern discipline of conservation is emerging parallel to the discovery and excavation of the tomb in the 1920s,” says Wong. “People like Alfred Lucas and Arthur Mace were selected by Carter to join his team and had the specific role of dealing with the preservation of the artifacts.”

Enter the Tourists

As an icon of Egyptian history and art, Tut’s tomb is one of the most visited tourist sites in the world. Millions have entered the tomb and seen its colorful wall paintings, hieroglyphs, and the mummy of the king himself, preserved in an oxygen-free case.

While the tomb is considered small compared to those of other Egyptian rulers, it was surprisingly well-preserved. Probably constructed hastily when Tut died unexpectedly before reaching his 20s, the site was later buried by debris when a subsequent tomb was constructed. Though not completely undisturbed, Tut’s resting place remained relatively intact until Carter’s discovery.

By the early 2000s, it was clear that the tomb’s popularity was taking its toll. Fluctuations in temperature and humidity from the steady stream of tourists put stress on the wall paintings. The poorly ventilated space made visitors uncomfortable. Camera crews were allowed too close to the wall paintings, causing scratches and abrasions. Dust and lint carried in on shoes and clothes were deposited on the paintings and sarcophagus, creating a less than ideal viewing experience and a tomb that required regular, invasive cleaning.

Finally, there was the mystery of the brown spots that appeared throughout the tomb. Egyptian authorities feared that constant visitors were causing the spots to grow, threatening to endanger the paintings.

Conservators to the Rescue

In 2009 the GCI partnered with Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities to create a conservation and management plan that would allow for tourism but keep the tomb safe from further damage. After performing the most thorough study of the site since Carter’s time, the GCI and its Egyptian colleagues developed strategies for the tomb’s conservation and presentation.

The team designed a new viewing platform that increased visitor access and protected the wall paintings. A new filtered air supply and exhaust ventilation system helped control humidity, carbon dioxide, and the influx of dust. The flaking paint of the wall paintings was stabilized, plaster was repaired, coatings from previous treatments were reduced, and dust was safely removed. The tomb was also given new lighting and signage that have improved the visitor experience and enhanced understanding of the site and its history.

As for the brown spots, extensive DNA and chemical analysis determined that they were microbiological growths that were dead and no longer a threat to the wall paintings. Still, the existing spots had penetrated the paint layer and could not be removed without causing damage.

A major goal of modern conservation projects is to ensure the long-term sustainability of conservation efforts and to provide local professionals with the tools and support they need to maintain their heritage sites for the future. For the Tut project, this meant training those professionals and developing a manual that provides guidance for the tomb’s continued maintenance as well as recommendations for future changes and improvements. It also meant working with teams on the ground to continue environmental monitoring. The GCI completed its work in 2019, and today the tomb and its contents remain better protected.