King Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb

The fabulous treasures of Tutankhamun have fascinated the public since their discovery by Howard Carter in 1922. Many books have been written about the boy king and his tomb, but this volume by world-renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass provides the reader with a unique perspective on this extraordinary archaeological find. Images by pioneering photographer Sandro Vannini offer distinctive views of almost 200 of the spectacular artifacts found at the burial site.

King Tutankhamun uses carefully selected objects to illustrate the entire ten years of painstaking excavation and documentation carried out by Carter and his team. Organized to follow the chambers of the tomb in the order in which they were excavated, it illuminates the site's most magnificent artifacts.

An experienced field archaeologist who has made many important discoveries himself, Dr. Hawass imbues the text with his own unique voice, imagining how exploration of the tomb must have felt for Carter and providing invaluable information about the objects. Sandro Vannini's photographs are extraordinary as well, allowing the objects to be seen in even more detail than is possible with the naked eye.

Zahi Hawass is Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt, and Director of Excavations at Giza, Saqqara, and the Bahariya Oasis. Over his long and illustrious career he has made a number of major archaeological discoveries, of which the most spectacular are the tombs of the Pyramid Builders at Giza and the Valley of the Golden Mummies at Bahariya. Sandro Vannini has worked closely with Hawass over the years and contributed photographs to The Royal Tombs of Egypt.

Who knew death could be so glorious? The Egyptians did. Few places are filled with more romance than the Valley of Kings, where no fewer than 26 of the most powerful rulers from the Golden Age of Egypt were put to rest in storied tombs that line the rocks and canyons of that mysterious landscape. Thutmose III. Amenhotep III. Ramesses VI. Queen Hatshepsut. The names alone recall the power those monarchs... Washington Post Book Review (read the entire Washington Post review) possessed and the absolute deference they commanded. But no name is more filled with might than that of Tutankhamun, whose treasure-laden grave astounded the world when it was unearthed by Howard Carter in 1922. Archaeologist Zahi Hawass reconstructs Carter's discovery in this magnificent volume, which follows the chambers of the tombs exactly as they were excavated. Here are golden chariots, coruscating jewelry, finely painted sarcophagi, masks, thrones, beds, ritual figures, corselets, amulets and urns. Sandro Vannini's 324 photographs are beautifully lit and sharply rendered against black, making it seems as if these shimmering artifacts are literally emerging from the dark. Alive again.

— Marie Arana

Reviewed by NA, Washington Post Book World (Copyright 2006 Washington Post Book World Service/Washington Post Writers Group)
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The ultimate book on King Tut and his tomb--the most exciting archaeological find the world has ever known.

Zahi Hawass is Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt, and Director of Excavations at Giza, Saqqara, and the Bahariya Oasis. Over his long and illustrious career he has made a number of major archaeological discoveries, of which the most spectacular are the tombs of the Pyramid Builders at Giza and the Valley of the Golden Mummies at Bahariya. Sandro Vannini has worked closely with Hawass over the years and contributed photographs to The Royal Tombs of Egypt.