Carter was already a distinguished archaeologist and Egyptologist, when he became famous for his discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun, the most intact Pharaonic tomb ever found.
At age 17 he began recording tomb decorations of the Middle Kingdom period, and then a year later, in 1892, he began work in Armana, documenting what remained of the capital city of Akhenaten – the father of Tutankhamun.
On 4 November 1922, Carter discovered the entrance of what was then designated as KV62. Noting that the tomb seals were intact, he contacted Lord Carnavon, who had funded Carter’s work for nearly 15 years, to come and enter the tomb as it was opened directly.
On 26th November, Carter breached the seals, revealing the massive horde of ancient treasure still intact.
The discovery caused a sensation and resulted in a massive cultural interest in Ancient Eygpt. The treasures from the tomb were exhibited around the world in the years after, before mostly being put on permanent display in the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities in Cairo.
The clearance of the tomb with its thousands of objects continued until 1932. Following his sensational discovery, Howard Carter retired from archaeology and became a part-time agent for collectors and museums.
Howard Carter died of lymphoma, a type of cancer, in Kensington, London, on 2 March 1939 at the age of 64. On his gravestone is written: “May your spirit live, May you spend millions of years, You who love Thebes, Sitting with your face to the north wind, Your eyes beholding happiness”.
