Howard Carter "The Tomb of Tutankhamen" 3-Volume Matching Set, Leather-Bound Limited Edition [Sealed]

Howard Carter’s The Tomb of Tutankhamen (originally published in the 1920s) is the definitive firsthand account of one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century—the unearthing of Tutankhamen’s tomb. Collectors prize it because it connects directly to the golden age of Egyptology.

Norwalk, CT. Easton Press. Howard Carter and A.C. Mace (Associate Curator, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. "The Tomb of Tutankhamen". Discovered by the late Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter. Three volume complete matching set. Luxuriously bound in full genuine leather with 22kt gold accents. The set features hubbed spines, distinctive cover designs, and beautiful illustrations. This collection is now Out Of Print by the publisher. Very Fine, sealed. 

This collection replicates the first edition with design in black background on the front.

Three volume set in one shipment:

1. TOMB OF TUTANKHAMEN, Vol. I, with 104 illustrations [Sealed]

2. TOMB OF TUTANKHAMEN, Vol. II, with 153 illustrations [Sealed]

3. TOMB OF TUTANKHAMEN, Vol. III, with 156 illustrations [Sealed]

The Tomb of Tutankhamen is Howard Carter's firsthand account of discovering and excavating the nearly intact tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen in 1922, detailing the search, the painstaking process, and the incredible treasures found, including the famous golden mask, with accompanying photographs by Harry Burton. Published in installments between 1923 and 1933, the book captures the excitement of the find and provides a detailed record of the artifacts and ancient burial practices, becoming a landmark in archaeology.

Key aspects of the book

Author: Howard Carter, the archaeologist who led the excavation.

Content: A narrative of the discovery, the history of Tutankhamen, the challenges of the excavation, and the wonders of the tomb's contents.

Illustrations: Richly illustrated with over 100 photographs by Harry Burton, showing the artifacts in their original state.

Significance: A primary source on one of the most famous archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, setting a new standard for archaeological recording.

Publication: Originally published in three volumes between 1923 and 1933.

THE TOMB OF TUTANKHAMEN by Howard Carter

The original Volume I came out in 1923, Volume II in 1927 and Volume III in 1933. It took ten years for them to meticulously work their way into the tomb and remove all the artifacts. The text presents the finds as they were made, including speculation about what was to be found in the next room. Carter spent six years finding nothing in the Valley of the Kings and he had to convince his benefactor Lord Carnarvon to let him try one last season. They began digging under some ancient stone huts below another tomb and as Carter puts it "we had an entire season of digging compressed into five days" when they find stairs leading down into the rock and a sealed door at the end.

And then he has to cover it back up and wait for Lord Carnarvon to come from England so he can be in on the opening! There turn out to be several rooms, each more stuffed than the next. Ancient tomb robbers had taken some stuff, but left all of the rest in disarray. When Carter finally gets a view into the dark with an electric light and sees the quantity of artifacts he is sobered by the realization of how much work lies ahead. But the wonder of such treasures is overwhelming, as he puts it "the imagination falters".

He then describes the process of photographing objects, stabilizing artifacts, and carefully moving them out to a staging area nearby for transport to the Cairo museum. At once he realizes he needs help, and fast. He recruits six archaeologists from a neighboring dig to come help and they seem to stick with it for the whole ten years. There are four rooms to be cleared, 1st the Antechamber, next the Sepulchral Hall (with the sarcophagus), the Store and lastly the Annex. Each is stuffed with both wonderful golden finery or sometimes a simple flower bouquet. Once in while he comes across a dropped box or spilled pot and he feels like the tomb was sealed only yesterday and not four thousand years ago. I think this was the only royal tomb not to be seriously plundered. Tutankhamen did not have the biggest tomb. One can only guess at what treasures were plundered from the larger tombs.

The writing style is a little stilted (it was the 1920s after all) and you may ultimately tire of reading details of the 35 artifacts found in the eleven layers of the mummy wrapping, but it really makes you feel like you were there.