King Tut Tomb object 21a-yy - Research Paper Example

King Tut Tomb object 21a-yy Introduction King Tutankhamen was a young Egyptian king who took the throne at the age of eight years and died at around the age of 18 years. The discovery of King Tut’s Tomb by Howard Carter in 1922 was one of the greatest archeological discoveries. The tomb had over 3,000 square feet of artifacts and Carter had to spend ten years to clear and catalog these artifacts. The king is believed to have died untimely leading to the hasty preparation of his tomb. The tomb treasure consisted of gold items, priceless jewelry, chariots, chairs thrones and a lot of wealth related to the kings. The treasures found from the Egypt Valley of kings were kept in their original boxes after identification. This research will focus on box 21 from the object a to yy. The objects include rush and papyrus sandal, gilt head-rest, ceremonial robe, cloth, decorated sandal, leather sandal, beadwork sandal, collar band from the shirt, leopard skin cloak, loincloth, a pad of fine cloth, a pad of linen, rolls of bandage and gold pendant (Jaromir and Elizabeth, 2008). Location of objects in the tomb The items were discovered in a box, in the tomb which was located in the treasure chamber which was next to burial chamber. These items were in the royal drawer. After recovering the artifacts from the tomb, the items were packaged into their original boxes and wrapped in newspapers and taken to storerooms in Cairo’s Egyptian Museum. The items have stayed there for a very long time since their excavation (Potter, 2011). Picture of objects Bracelets and sandals found in King Tut tomb (Potter, 2011) King Clothing presents a puzzle to many researchers. The clothing is among the few artifacts that can give details related to the appearance and physique of the young king. The king clothing was kept in a box that was sealed and kept in the museum, and a little research has been done concerning the same. There have been indications that the king has feminine looks by some researchers. The king clothing showed measurement that was indicating that he had wide hips (Maggie, 2013). Clothing was an important aspect of the king. The clothing was designed in a specific manner for the king and worn in occasions. The king used royal robes during his tenure as king depending on the occasion. The collars were made of precious gems as well as gold. The waist was covered with a white cloth which made a short skirt like the dress. In their bodies, they wore no shirt. The pharaoh armbands and armlets were made of gold and had specific crowns, which were related to their kingdom. This clothing was significant in their lives as they showed their power and position (Maggie, 2013). Religious purpose Egyptian kingdom worshipped gods. Each god had its own purpose in the citizen’s life. The pharaohs were given the status of god this happened even after their death. The pharaoh being a god figure was expected to dress in a manner that made him significant among his people. This is the reason why most of the pharaoh’s clothing and other adornments were made of gold (Maggie, 2013). Symbolism Some of the clothing that was found in King Tut tomb was his personal royal clothing while others were buried with him for different purposes. The ceremonial robe was one of his royal clothing which was used by all pharaohs. His sandals were made of beads and leather. There was a leopard skin cloak and pad of fine linen. The appearance of archer’s gauntlet was an indication that he was a trained archer. This was supposed to help him as he was on his way to the new world. The king was supposed to be buried armed with all requirements for survival in his journey to the next world (Potter, 2011). gods represented in tomb King Tutankhamen’s tomb had a painting of Hathor who was conceived as the goddess of the West. The goddess was supposed to welcome pharaoh to the underworld. Including the cloth in the pharaoh tomb was to make sure that he had sufficient clothes for his journey into the underworld. Other objects that were included in this box included rolls of bandages and cloth made from fine linen. Having been sufficiently equipped in his tomb meant that the pharaoh could get into the next world (The Griffith Institute, 2000). In ancient Egypt, king adornment was of great importance. The status he held in the society was represented through his loyal adornments. To understand the kingdoms of the ancient Egypt, the pharaoh adornment holds an important place. The king’s clown depended on the region in which they were ruling. Pharaohs from the north Egypt wore white clowns while those from the south wore red clowns. The unification of north and south Egypt led to the kings wearing clowns with both red and white. Animal skins such as the leopard skin cloak were worn by priests and pharaohs as a sign of their role as servants of gods. This clothing made of animal skins was found in King Tut’s tomb which gives the insight on his roles in the kingdom. Through the study of the king’s cloth, a lot can also be deduced about adornments in the ancient Egypt. Fine linen such as the one found in King Tut’s tomb was a royal garment designated for the king. The tomb of King Tut had the royal garments for any occasion in the early Egypt. Clothing was one of the most expensive things at the time in the hot Egyptian climate. There was clothing that was used to dress gods who were dressed by the slaves. The clothing found in the tomb also gives insight about the cleanliness of the pharaoh. His clothes were always clean as the pharaoh was regarded as next to god. His adornment was in custody of the washer to the pharaoh. The king had 93 pieces of sandals some made of gold, wood, leather, and papyrus. Those made of wood had enemies depicted on the soles so that the king could trend on them while walking. Their presence indicates how sandals were given importance in the early Egypt (Potter, 2011). These objects give a picture of the life of the ancient Egypt during king Tut era. The clothing was mostly made of linen with a simple design. The sewing was also minor. Clothing used in the life of the ancient Egyptian included use of simply made fashion. More on how these fashions looked like during this period is also depicted by these artifacts. The sandals were made of leather, wood, gold, and papyrus. The clothing was used as a means of distinguishing people according to class. King Tut grave clothing is an example of the simplicity in which clothing was carried out (The Griffith Institute, 2000). The superstitious nature of the ancient Egypt is also depicted by this adornment; they believed that the dead should carry enough clothes to help him in the next world. Sandals are also depicted to have been highly valued in the ancient Egypt. Life in the ancient Egypt seems to have been centered on the king and gods. The king was well taken care of in life and death. The tomb had a lot of wealth including gold and other priceless jewels. His casket depicts how he was respected by his subjects. He is laid in a three-layered coffin which consisted of gold and other expensive materials. Most of the king’s clothes were made of fine linen, which was rare and highly valued during this time. Another aspect of early Egypt life that can be seen in the king Tut clothing is the hot climate. The king had to clothe for all body parts which translate to subjects having to do with less clothing. The climate made it possible for the subjects to survive with less clothing. The kings were worshipped and were put in front of everything in the Egyptians life. The loyalty of the inhabitants made sure that the king wardrobe was full despite their problems (Adolf, 2003). Conclusion The tomb of King Tut will remain to be one of the greatest discoveries. The clothing found in his tomb has been an important source of information regarding his size, life at the time and the religious views of the ancient Egypt. From the clothing, the king was highly respected by the subjects who made sure that he had a well catered. The clothing recovered also gave information on the religions that were used by the Egyptians. They beliefs on underworld and superstitions can be seen as pharaoh was provided with all requirements for the underworld journey. References Adolf, E., (2003), Life in Ancient Egypt, Kessinger Publishing. Jaromir, M., and Elizabeth, F. (2008, June 30), The Tomb of Tutankhamun, Photographs of Egypt by John Ross, Retrieved 20th Nov 2013 from, Maggie Owens (2013, August 8), King Tut's Clothing Puzzles Researchers, ABC News, Retrieved 20th Nov 2013 from, http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=120039 Potter, N. (2011, June 10), King Tut: Egyptian Pharaoh's Burial May Have Been Rush Job, ABC News, retrieved 20th Nov 2013 from, < http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/king-tut-pharoh-buried-quickly-ancient-microbes-tomb/story?id=13804625> The Griffith Institute, (2000), Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation, The Howard Carter Archives, Retrieved 20th Nov 2013 from, Read More