Egyptology continues to astound 100 years after Tutankhamun was found

The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb was a revelation, but 100 years later new scientific methods are painting an even richer picture of the ancient Egyptians

IT IS one of those strange quirks of history that Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb exactly 100 years after Jean-François Champollion cracked ancient Egypt’s hieroglyphics. Champollion’s breakthrough in 1822 unlocked the civilisation’s rich written archive, while Carter’s discovery in 1922 offered an unadulterated view of pharaonic opulence.

It is unlikely 2022 will be remembered as a pivotal year in Egyptology, but that doesn’t mean the field is stuck in a rut. As we report on in our feature “How technology is revolutionising our understanding of ancient Egypt”, archaeologists now have the tools of modern science at their fingertips. …