Tomb and Burial Treasure of Tutankhamun

Description

Since the British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun (circa 1332-1322 BC) in 1922 in the famous Valley of the Kings near Luxor and saw "wonderful things" upon looking into the first of four chambers, the name of this king has become world-famous. The over 5000 burial items, many made of pure gold, provide insight into the religious beliefs and burial rites of the ancient Egyptians. In contrast to his current fame, Tutankhamun is not considered one of the great rulers from a historical perspective due to his early death. His provisional and hastily prepared tomb is comparatively unspectacular, and neither its size nor decoration corresponds to a royal tomb of that time. However, he lived in one of the most religiously exciting periods of ancient Egyptian history, the so-called Amarna period: His possible father, Akhenaten, introduced the first – completely untypical for ancient Egypt – monotheism, which focused on the sun as the sole god named Aten and temporarily turned the polytheistic worldview of the people of that time upside down. The residence he newly founded at the present-day site of Tell el-Amarna gave that era its name. Akhenaten's wife, Nefertiti, also became world-famous through her bust in the Berlin Museum. However, this episode did not survive Akhenaten's reign and was gradually reversed under Tutankhamun. This course explores these and other exciting aspects surrounding Tutankhamun and his tomb, as well as presenting some of the most important and beautiful burial items in their significance. Course instructor: Dr. Barbara Lüscher, former lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Zurich, independent researcher at the University of Basel.

Highlights

• Exciting stories about Tutankhamun
• Insight into the Amarna period
• Location: Volkshochschule Solothurn

General Information

The event offers a comprehensive introduction to the life and times of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Participants will learn more about the discovery of his tomb and the cultural background of ancient Egyptian history.

Location

Hauptbahnhofstrasse 8, 4500 Solothurn, Switzerland

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