Énigmes d’Égypte | Les secrets funéraires dévoilés
The mummy is probably the most obvious symbol of ancient Egyptian civilization. At first, the dead were buried far from fertile soil, which naturally created mummies. The heat of the sun and the desert sand had the effect of preserving the skin and thus the human form of the deceased. This process is the origin of the mysterious beliefs that resulted from it. The mummy represented a glimmer of hope in the face of the darkness of death. It was hoped that if the body could be preserved, then the person’s soul could continue to live. The mummy was the human symbol of the greatest god of the Egyptians. Like the sun that rises and sets, the deceased will be able to live again. For the Egyptians, The mummy was the central element needed to achieve immortality. After death, The deceased would separate into many formless parts, which would be reunited thanks to the carefully preserved appearance of the mummy. Everyone wanted to be mummified. To ensure the conservation process, The Egyptians developed an artificial process that produced the same results as the environment. Mummification has become a real business. Ancient Egypt had thus discovered the secret of mummification. It was dehydration. They used this knowledge and then developed a process that could last up to 70 days. It was during this period that many organs were removed, especially the brain, which was gradually removed using a long hook. After removing the internal organs, the body was put in natron, A kind of salt-like substance that could be found in Egypt. 35 days later, the embalmers returned to finish their work, but this time, They were not alone. Priests in strange costumes whispered formulas to ensure the deceased’s passage into the afterlife. Grant to the deceased that breath may pass through your head in the afterlife, and that they can drink the spedicle. At the end of the ritual, the body was placed in another enduring symbol of ancient Egypt, the tomb. The Egyptians called it the Eternal House. The tomb was intended to protect the mummy indefinitely. During the development of ancient Egypt, the construction of tombs, just like mummification, has evolved. The tomb has become a kind of mythological mountain at the origin of all creation. The graves have evolved from simple sand tombs to flattened structures, the mastabas. Then,
in 2600 BC, The Mastaba gave birth to an architectural evolution. By superimposing these structures which resemble benches, the first pyramid was built, The Step Pyramid of Saqqara. For two centuries, The construction of the pyramid continued to evolve. In 2400 BC, Ancient Egypt reached the peak of pyramid development, which gave rise to one of the seven wonders of the world, the pyramids of Giza. They represented the monumental tombs of three generations of royal mummies. Their solid structures were designed to allow powerful pharaohs to reach the afterlife. From there, he blessed these subjects who were cores, thus perpetuating the Egyptian lifestyle. It was a mandatory journey that was tried to be ensured outside, as well as inside the pyramids. The plateau where these gigantic triangles of Granite are located had a guardian, The sphinx, made of limestone. He watched like a sentinel. The huge animal with a human head was in the image of Khafra, the king, whose pyramid complex he protected. People at the time thought that the Sphinx represented the deceased king, and he had been bringing them their offerings for over a thousand years. For the Egyptians, the statues, including the sphinx, were often as sacred as mummies. Many were found in tombs, but unlike mummies, they were visible. They served as representatives and provided security against any destructive eventuality. The sphinx, The Pyramids of Giza and the mummies are mysterious treasures of antiquity that have become synonymous with the people of the time. They show that people had gone to war against their own mortality. It was a struggle that would continue as long as their civilization. But they finally lost her, after having left, however, a detailed account of their belief. O you who possess souls, who are blameless, who exist eternally, receive me, For I am a spirit in form, and I have power through my magic. Save me from my aggressors in your land of the righteous. These are the whispers of the ancestors, These are echoes of the past. I took that magic from wherever it was found. And with all his fire, he broke lips. These are the ancient magic formulas. These were the necessary words he believed he needed to achieve immortality. O you, the Great God, Lord of justice! I have come to You Lord. I have not wronged others. I didn’t do any harm. I didn’t kill. I am pure, pure, pure, pure. These are translations of Egyptian inscriptions. These are hieroglyphs. The word hieroglyph comes from Greek and means sacred inscription. Since they were mostly priests who were educated, When the Greeks arrived, They declared that the inscriptions were religious and therefore sacred. The Greeks were not far from the truth, because for the Egyptians, Hieroglyphs were sacred. Whether painted in many colors or simply inscribed, They were transmitting important information. These are literally the divine words or “medunter” as they were called in ancient Egypt. Hieroglyphs were considered not only as a gift to the gods, but also as a powerful means of transcending life and death. It was thus possible to communicate between the world here below and the beyond, with deceased ancestors and gods. This means allowed one to pass from one world to another. And to help control forces belonging to the beyond over which one would normally have no power. Despite the fact that ancient Egypt felt all-powerful, its culture was influenced by invaders and dominated by a new form of worship. The last hieroglyph was inscribed during the 4th century AD, here, in the temple of Philea. And in the end, when all the Egyptian priests had died, With them we lost the ability to read these sacred inscriptions. For almost 1500 years, These voices coming from the distance remained silent. For centuries, Experts have tried to decipher these strangely shaped symbols, but, often remaining perplexed, They allowed themselves to compensate for their lack of knowledge with their imagination. In the 17th century, It has been suggested that hieroglyphs contain the mysteries of the universe. Afterwards, in the 18th century, Research progress was made possible by Napoleon Bonaparte, who invaded Egypt. In 1798, Napoleon arrived in the country with an army of soldiers and Egyptologists. He thus brought soldiers to fight the enemy and experts to measure the monuments, study architecture and copy inscriptions. The research of these Egyptologists was intended to better understand this vanished civilization. However, the most interesting discovery was made, not by an expert, but by a soldier who became responsible for uncovering an artifact that opens the doors to the past. During the summer of 1799, The French were beginning to lose the war against the British, who had also invaded Egypt. In order to strengthen their defense, The French had decided to rebuild an Arab fort along an island near the city of Rosetta. While demolishing the fortress walls, A soldier found a stele weighing about 680 kg. This is the stele that would later be called the Rosetta Stone. The Rosetta Stone was the first such discovery. It contained the three types of inscriptions common to ancient Egypt. There were sacred inscriptions or hieroglyphs, another form of ancient writing called Demothic, and a Greek text that can still be interpreted today. However, despite the familiarity of some passages in Greek, The Rosetta Stone was not entirely complete. And thus difficult to decipher. For more than twenty years, Experts have tried to find the meaning of these mysterious inscriptions. After hours of research, the son of a bookseller, Jean-François Champollion, aged 32, was able to find the code to decipher the Rosetta Stone. It contained the thanks of the priests, written in 196 BC, for the Pharaoh named Ptolemy V. Champollion had thus demonstrated that hieroglyphs were more than a writing formed of images. It symbolized sounds and concepts. His work marked the end of silence. The voices of antiquity could be heard again through the reading of hieroglyphs. The soul travels to the place from which it came. She cannot escape the past. Listen to me now. Pay attention to what people say. No day in happiness. Forget my worries. Preserve this window and crush it anyway. It may one day bring you good. The body shape wash, she pours out, it evolves. The magic won over her. You have nothing to watch. We read our writings, This is our country. We are Kenyu. We no longer had to guess, nor to make assumptions. The inscriptions could only be read. We could understand who the pharaohs were. Their names could be read. We were thus able to find the chronological order of the reigns, for example, who reigned after Ramses or before any Mossis. Previously, we relied on a few clues left by the Greeks. So, Egyptology advanced remarkably after the decipherment of hieroglyphs. Egyptology had a new understanding of culture and the purpose of its ancient inscriptions. It is a writing system that has various recognizable elements, such as animals, men, flowers, things, nature, like mountains, the sun, The moon, a whole series of things that form the human experience and that we find enclosed in these hieroglyphs. This tells us what was important at the time. This shows us their worldview and what they thought about the afterlife, their place in the universe. It tells the story of their fears and hopes. In summary, Hieroglyphs connect us with the life of the ancient Egyptians. Thanks to the decipherment of these writings from ancient Egypt, we were able to discover interesting and mysterious stories. Hieroglyphs represent one of the greatest inventions. From the ancient Egyptians who used them to record their fears, their hopes, their dreams and main events. These remarkable writings have given experts insights into the secrets hidden behind the preserved faces of mummies. However, They realized that hieroglyphs still presented a problem. We had their meaning, but their pronunciation still remained mysterious. Indeed, Hieroglyphs do not include vowels. It is probably one of the worst writing systems ever invented because of the things hidden in it. However, hieroglyphs have a functional side and a beauty that is not found, For example, in an alphabetic script which is generally written in one direction only. On the contrary, hieroglyphs can be written from right to left, from left to right, horizontally or vertically, So that the result gives an interesting visual effect. While expressing the message contained in the hieroglyphs. Hieroglyphs are similar to the art and architecture of antiquity. When something was important, They embarked on large-scale projects to emphasize meaning. Hieroglyphs are no exception. Hieroglyphs were used for official matters. They were inscribed on important buildings, the great monuments, some statues. However, They were the most difficult to understand of all Egyptian writing systems. SO, When a child was learning to write, he began with hieratic writing. Hieratic developed around the same time as hieroglyphs, around 3100 BC. It was a cursive script much simpler than hieroglyphs and was used for everyday necessities, such as legal matters, the letters, or contracts. Despite this simplified form of writing, Experts believe that 90 to 99% of the population could not read, Including the artists who inscribed the hieroglyphs, that is, the scribes. I think that many Egyptians who were even educated from the hieratic point of view, were not unable to understand all the details. And to read the text of the hieroglyphs because the latter represented a dead language. It’s as if the French in the Middle Ages learned to write Latin at school, As if they spoke Vulgar Latin and wrote Classical Latin. So, at the time when people still wrote in hieroglyphics, People did not speak the language of these inscriptions. Not being able to read hieroglyphs posed a problem for the scribe and encouraged him to make mistakes. Even today, mistakes made long ago can be found in the hieroglyphs inscribed on many walls. The correlation system between the scripts is not automatic because the signs do not correspond. There is a complete system for hieratic and another for hieroglyphs, without individual concordance of the signs. The creation of hieroglyphs was a laborious process. The text was first written in hieratic by a first person, then translated from hierathic into hieroglyphic by a second person, and finally corrected by a third person. Then there was the work of the sculptor, who was responsible for following the scribe’s instructions. After that, another scribe, able to read, was in charge of correcting the sculptor’s mistakes. And then we came to the final phase, where the painter added colors to the hieroglyphs. The inability to read the sacred writings did not diminish the belief of the people without their power. Hieroglyphs thus had a religious role. Thoth was the god of writing and was represented by a man with the head of an ibis holding a stylus in his hand. For the ancient Egyptians, hieroglyphs had magical power. Just like mummies, tombs and statues, They played an important role in achieving immortality. There were magic spells on the mummies, on the strips. There were also some on the walls of the pyramids and on the coffins. It was believed that these formulas contained in the hieroglyphs ensured the fulfillment of their requests. For example, If I write on my coffin that the Pharaoh will grant me thousands of loaves, thousands of beer jars, So it’s true. It’s happening. The Egyptians believed that the hieroglyphs of the formulas could magically come to life. This was a problem. They cared to see birds fly away or creatures come out of coffins, which could have ruined the effect of the formulas. So they sometimes wrote the hieroglyphs incompletely. Take for example the case of the drawing of a seraste, a type of viper with two small horns on its head. It is the most dangerous snake in Egypt. It is actually said that if a serates bites you, there is only one thing to do, Smoke a cigarette. This hieroglyphic symbol represented the sound F. However, It was also a snake. Time, the representation of something truly alive, a dangerous snake. SO, in certain periods of Egyptian antiquity, Hieroglyphs were altered by cutting them in two to protect against the magic of the dangers represented. The words contained in the hieroglyphs were intended to help the mummy while preserving the memory of the deceased. The man dies, his body is dust, But the Churches will remind us of him. He will be alive in the slipper, I say to myself, the island. Papyrus, 1300 BC. For the Egyptians, One way to perpetuate their lives was to ensure that their name was recorded, and if possible, repeatedly. This made it possible to compensate for accidental or perhaps intentional damage, For example, if by malice, my enemy tried after my death to remove my name. Then you can find my name. Somewhere, perhaps hidden underneath, and I continue to exist. Any form of writing has the potential, and, in my opinion, surely, magical implications. The name, or the group of sounds, that I pronounce it, or write it down on a piece of paper. And give it to you, conjures up an image in your mind. This image represents the person whose name we have. Accordingly, the name contains within itself a part of the individual. For the Egyptians, In the distant past, hieroglyphs were an essential part of preparation for death. In this place where the first pyramid appeared, the pyramid of Saqqara, There were many tombs. Behind the dilapidated exterior of these tombs, Some of the oldest texts still survive. These hieroglyphs are from the Old Kingdom period and date back to 2600 BC. In the old Empire, There were what are called the Pyramid Texts, which were reserved for the pharaohs and contained all the formulas, probably from very ancient sources. But these texts were only intended for the pharaohs to guide them in the afterlife, in the afterlife. He told him what to say, where he had to go and what he had to do. He is the sovereign. Lord, From the ambers of wisdom. His magic fades, what he provides. His power shines in the land of the respected. For the sovereign, the time is now the indignant unit. And its bridges touch one another. Thanks to his power, he does what he wants. And he saw what he is, And this in everything, in the kingdom of heaven and throughout all space and time. In 2000 BC, during the Middle Kingdom period, There has been a change in the hieroglyphs. The formulas that were only found on the walls of tombs. Pharaohs began to appear on the wooden coffins of those who could afford them. The expense. In a sense, we can see the evolution of a certain personalization. Walls, pyramids, We have moved on to the more human scale of the coffin, and even more so to the Papyrus scroll, which one can take with oneself. This papyrus scroll dates back to 1500 BC and is known as the Book of the Dead. The Book of the Dead, just like the pyramid and coffin texts, was created to allow the deceased to pass safely into the afterlife. And this important text was often expensive. Someone from the bourgeoisie, or the upper middle class, spent a good amount of money on his preparation for the afterlife. It is interesting to note that a blank papyrus roll cost a moderate part of a worker’s monthly wage, But once decorated with texts and scenes from the Book of the Dead, it cost half the annual salary. If you truly believe you will live forever, so you’re not going to put all your money into your life on Earth. It’s the afterlife that matters most. So they put their wealth and efforts into the next world rather than into this life, since its duration was longer. The Book of the Dead detailed the ideology of the time regarding the afterlife. The Book of the Dead is a collection of nearly 200 magical formulas. The oldest copy dates from the mid-15th century BC. But, according to experts, The formulas it contains date back more than 1000 years. For the people of Antiquity, It was like a form of written protection, intended as a defense and spiritual aid. On the day of the funeral, The book of the dead was also buried. He protected the mummy inside the tomb, prepared her for her final journey and provided for all her needs in the afterlife. That is, they are there to be read by the deceased. They were intended only for them. We can imagine the deceased sitting on his grave, unrolling the book of the dead. What I mean is that no one else was going to read the book of the dead. The Book of the Dead contained crucial information locked within the text. The secrets of the terrifying journey to the afterlife. For the Egyptians, immortality was the main goal, but it was difficult for them to achieve this. All this is comparable to sleep. When you sleep, you may have nightmares, and, in a way, The ancient Egyptians imagined that the Sun’s journey through the afterlife during the night, was similar to the journey of the deceased and represented the worst of all nightmares. I explained in a fanciful way that the ancient Egyptians viewed death as if the deceased had embarked on a boat passing through a mountain pass where dangers approach from all sides. Actually, the image of the Deer brings life. And the passage by boat, this dark journey into the afterlife. Was simply the reflection of the journey through Egypt, where there were different entrances for the various regions, to go from south to north, for example, from Aswan to the Mediterranean. It was as if the afterlife was reflected here below. Thanks to the book of the dead, The Egyptians tried to control their fears magically. If we could define death, so she was less scary. So they continued to clarify the concept of the afterlife. This was part of the evolution of texts, pyramids and coffins. During the Middle Kingdom, when the formulas were written on the coffins, They were accompanied by illustrations. These consisted of cards that helped guide the deceased through the strange journey of the afterlife. When the New Kingdom began, the text has been separated from the maps. The text became the book of the dead and the maps became the guide to the Afterlife. Both items were placed in the tomb and both had writings on them. However, they were different. The Beyond Guide had more illustrations and was divided into several books, such as The Book of Caverns and The Book of Gates. There are twelve gates in the afterlife, one per hour, and each of the doors is guarded by a snake. Who asks you questions, And you have to know how to answer them correctly in order to enter through the door and move on to the next one. By planning ahead, The Egyptians were continually trying to answer questions about the unknown. They didn’t seem to want any surprises regarding this imaginary adventure, and, according to their description, the journey was going to be difficult. In this strange domain, we could see men whose heads were on fire, other drowned people floating on the water, and decapitated bodies. The Egyptians had a vivid imagination regarding death, and in this, They were not very different from other cultures. It was their belief that made them marginal. The Egyptians had many theological ideas regarding life after death. They were often contradictory, but always complementary. This gave depth to their religion, and, contrary to religious beliefs, other cultures, There were several choices for them. They could choose the theology that suited them best, and they could choose more than one. It is believed that there were actually samples of different compositions that were shown to the owner of the tomb. He was then asked if he preferred one scene or another, and he made his choice. It is believed that when the tombs were painted, we followed a kind of model book. You can see from the drawings that someone first made a sketch in red, which was then corrected by the master in black. The drawings were therefore made by a team and not by a single person. However, despite all the options and efforts made to ensure immortality, There was still a part that was left entirely to the individual. It was a belief that dated back to around 2000 BC and was by far the most important. The life of the Egyptians led at this time, at this last stage, at the place known as “the judgment hall”. This is where the Egyptians were questioned and held accountable for their earthly actions. It’s a bit like the questionnaire to get your driver’s license in the United States. There are many questions to answer, but if we don’t succeed, we can iron it, And next time it will be easier because you know the questions and have had time to look up the answers. In the judgment hall, The deceased therefore answered these questions. There is nothing to see. Committed evil deeds, while reciting the magical words of the Book of the Dead before a tribunal of 42 gods. This step was called negative confession or declaration of innocence. I know the names of the 42 gods present in the hall of justice who live off what is evil. And see their time the day of their judgment. For behold, I came to you, I brought the truth. And for you, I rejected the lie. I have not harmed men. I have not impoverished my associates. I did not replace truth with error. I didn’t do any harm. I have not done what the gods hate. I didn’t cause any pain. I didn’t kill. While the deceased recited the formula, we weighed his heart, which was considered the center of intelligence, Compared to a feather symbolizing the ideal to be achieved. This is where the person’s earthly actions were judged. The deceased had to recite a particular formula again, but this time, He was not addressing the tribunal of the gods. O my heart that I received from my mother, don’t testify against me. Don’t be my enemy in court. Be not, this hell far before the keeper of the scales. For you are my case that was in my body. Don’t surround my name with bad smell around other men. Do not tell lies about me in the presence of the gods. If the heart and the feather were of equal weight, the person was released. Afterwards, the deceased was brought by Horus, The God of the living, before Osiris, the God of the dead. In Egyptian reliefs, the scale shows balance, But there is always a chance, A fear and a possibility that this may not be the case. One of the classic depictions of what can happen is that the person is devoured by a mythological creature that stands behind the scales. And waits for a meal for hundreds and thousands of years. Because everyone recites the correct formulas, and they are all delivered. The creature is small in size, it’s a mix of lion, of hippopotamus and crocodile, and it is called the devourer. When you are eaten, It is the absolute end of your existence. The idea of extinction was the greatest fear of the Egyptians, And it is thanks to this that they were able to maintain order in their society for thousands of years. They were restricted by both earthly laws and those of the unknown. Achieving immortality was not easy, but for the Egyptians, the magical world of the afterlife was worth it. During the long history of ancient Egyptian civilization, Beliefs in the afterlife have shown some evolution. For approximately 3500 years, Hieroglyphs were used to record the development of these ideas. According to experts, Information from the Old and Middle Kingdoms is rather vague. But from the beginning of the New Kingdom, almost 1500 years before Jesus Christ, The instructions given are much clearer. For the Egyptians, there was a final destination after the mysterious journey. It was an improved version of the world they knew. It was an idealized Egypt, known as the Beyond. Belief in Pre-Life was accepted by all, from the poorest farmer to the most powerful pharaoh. At the end, according to their religion, all people will be equal, without social difference. They will all be in the company of Osiris, The King of the Dead, And they will all enjoy a wonderful existence in the afterlife. It is difficult to define exactly what the Egyptians envisioned for the afterlife. But when we look at the scenes depicted on the walls of the tombs, We see people attending a large banquet, who play games and listen to music. Actually, We see all the things we consider distractions, Which leads us to believe that this is how they imagined the afterlife. We can find in some representations of scenes, Thank you. An idealized state where one goes hunting in wetlands filled with game of all kinds. All it took was a stick to grab something. And your cat also participated in the hunt so as to gain the image of an improved life compared to the earthly experience. Thanks to this belief in the afterlife, the Egyptians brought some hope where, Normally, There wouldn’t be any. It was their lifestyle that inspired their imagination. The result was a place of abundance, of ease, and above all, It was a place where one could continue one’s existence. The Book of the Dead provided the magic formulas necessary to enter this perfect place. Here are the formulas for the field of offerings. And the formulas for the beginning of the day. The one that allows you to come and go in the kingdom of the dead. The one for the field of people which is in the field of offerings. The age to prove strength. The age to prove power. We can sow there, harvest and eat there. You can also work the land there and do everything you can do on land. In addition to magic formulas, The walls of the tomb were painted, and in order to please the gods, scenes from the life that one desired to have in the afterlife. These are representations of the deceased working in the fields. However, they didn’t sweat, they weren’t dirty, they were not in rags, but in their finest attire, They were happy, They were harvesting a kind of grain or wheat, which was twice as high as normal. Ancient people considered Egypt the greatest of all civilizations and did not want to abandon it. It was therefore logical to emphasize the preparation preceding death, But this has led to confusion about the meaning of all their efforts. Even today, one always has the impression that the Egyptians were preoccupied with death, but they weren’t. It is actually their passion for life that has led them to such extremes. On the walls of the tombs, alongside the colorful representations of the afterlife, we can find another type of image. It depicts the immense pain caused by death. As for mourning and funerals, if the deceased is a noble, All the women in the house put mud on their heads and faces. And after leaving the body of the deceased in the house, She walks through the city streets beating her chest. And men are themselves. Herodotus, historian of ancient Egypt 500 BC. For the Egyptians, It was about overcoming the sadness of death and the fear that accompanied it. Despite their detailed description of the afterlife, They knew this was uncharted territory, so in preparation, and they sweep everything away. They were ready for anything. All possible eventualities. Imagine you are going to a country you have never been to. You will take with you everything you might need. The Egyptians followed the same thought process. As they made their preparations for the afterlife, They didn’t know what to expect in the afterlife. SO, They were preparing for everything. And packed everything they might need. In many tombs, There is a kind of model representing the things that a noble Egyptian would like to have in the afterlife. So, there would be an attic, boats, servants providing all kinds of services to their master. I think we imagined that we could achieve all this through the magical power of models. Even if the deceased did not possess any of these things during his earthly life. The figurines, the formulas written in hieroglyphs, The afterlife guides And the paintings found on the tombs show the importance placed by ancient Egypt on preparation for life after death. But their efforts did not stop there. Through the ages, The tombs of the Egyptian elite were considered the greatest treasure chests in the world, And they were coveted and plundered because of their great value. However, despite the thefts, many objects have survived, including those found during. This is probably the most fascinating discovery of the early 20th century, the excavation of Tutankhamun’s tomb. I’m going to show you how to make breakfast. It was in 1922, approximately 5 km west of the modern city of Luxor, in the Valley of the Kings, that the tomb of a pharaoh named Tutankhamun was discovered. A 3,270-year-old throne has been discovered in Egypt. The most sensational discovery of the century is announced. From 1550 to 1070 BC, Jesus Christ, The Valley of the Kings served as a burial ground for most of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom. However, The problem with this sacred place was that it was not secret, even for the looters of Antiquity. Over the years, most of the riches had been plundered and many mummies had been destroyed, leaving the place abandoned from 1100 to 1070 BC. But in November 1922, This sacred place, previously reserved for the deceased, came back to life thanks to the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, which was found intact. This discovery will constitute a valuable contribution to knowledge of this period. The news of this important discovery will arouse worldwide interest. For archaeologists, Tutankhamun’s tomb was an exceptional discovery. Other tombs had previously been discovered, but never of such splendor. On an area of approximately 86 square meters, we had been able to preserve the past. The Egyptians’ wish to be remembered long after their death was fulfilled. For all that, Ancamon, who was perhaps the seventh ruler, is buried here. This story will take as long as the excavation. It was one of the greatest treasures, the mummy of an ancient ruler, found thanks to the tenacity of an archaeologist named Howard Carter. Howard Carter was born in Great Britain in 1874. His level of education was limited, But his artistic talents allowed him to go to Egypt. At the age of 17, Carter was asked to copy sketches of scenes found on graves. This is where his interest in ancient Egypt and archaeology began. From 1900, He was the Inspector General in Upper Egypt, which included the Valley of the Kings. However, The excavation rights called concessions were in the hands of Theodore Davis, a retired American lawyer since 1902. Theodore Davis was able to persuade the head of the Antiquities Department that it would be a good idea to work in the Valley of the Kings. Howard Carter became in charge of overseeing the work, which allowed him not to work alone. Carter was thus able to gain a more precise idea of the Valley of the Kings and suspected that there were surely tombs that had not been discovered and which were perhaps still intact. Carter’s collaboration with Davis lasted only two years. Carter received a promotion and was transferred to Saqqara, While Davis and his team remained in the Valley of the Kings, they continued to excavate the land for another decade in search of hidden treasures. During this period, Davis discovered artifacts from the tomb of a long-lost pharaoh. It was obvious that these objects belonged to Tutankhamun, because his name was on one of them. It was a linen shawl, bearing his name and the date of his reign. His name also appeared on mud ceilings and, as if hidden, on mud lids closing amphorae. As early as 1909, Davis was convinced he had found the remains of Tutankhamun’s royal drum. And at that time, Carter was no longer working at Saqqara. In 1905, Carter had left his prestigious post after an argument with tourists. For several years, He had tried to make a living as an artist and sometimes a dealer in Egyptian art. He then became Lord Carnarvon’s partner, a wealthy Englishman with a frail constitution, possessing a passion for ancient Egypt. Rudyard Kipling described the life of the archaeologist by saying This provides an intellectual pursuit accompanied by the exhilarating adventure of the gold prospector’s life. This explains why Lord Carnarvon was willing to spend so much money, and so many years, searching for a tomb in the Valley of the Kings that had escaped plunder. Ambrose Lansing, 1923. Carter and Carnarvon had made several discoveries published in 1912, but… He coveted the Davis concession, the Valley of the Kings. In 1915, The dream came true when Davis gave up his job in the valley, being certain that there were no treasures to be discovered. “I fear I have exhausted the resources of the Valley of Tombs.” Theodore Davis, 1912. Despite Carter and Carnavan’s enthusiasm, The latter had to postpone their work on their new concession when the First World War broke out. Carnavan was in England while Carter served as diplomatic liaison in Egypt. He remained in Egypt during the war and continued the research, which allowed him to acquire a good knowledge of the valley. He was therefore convinced of the existence of other tombs, but he had no idea where they might be. During the war, Carter developed an excavation strategy. He thought of clearing the complete air from the valley down to the nearby layer, so as to find the entrance to a tomb if there was one. Some experts believe he also took into consideration the objects found during Davis’s discovery in 1912, and which turned out to be part of Tutankhamun’s tomb. It was common in Egypt to bury such objects that were related to those in the tomb near the latter. Carter therefore used this location as a clue to the possible location of Tutankhamun’s tomb. He was then able to make a map of the entire valley and examine the central part, which had not been carefully studied. This led him to the conclusion that Tutankhamun’s tomb were probably located in a small triangular land that had never been the subject of archaeological exploration. Since 1917, Carter and Carnarvon were free to begin their work in the Valley of the Kings. After five long and costly years without results, Carnarvon wanted to stop the excavation, but Carter, Always determined, made an offer to his partner. Which the latter could not refuse. Carter offered to fund an additional season of research himself while returning Carnarvon, Who was the owner of the concession, beneficiary of everything that was going to be excavated. It is not certain whether Carter and Carnarvon discussed the possibility of finding Tutankhamun’s tomb. However, Carter was direct with Carnarvon and… Carnarvon replied “No, no, No, my boy, I’ll pay. One more season and that will be it.” On November 1, 1922, Carter resumed work in the Valley of the Kings. It only took three days to discover the top of a staircase. From the fourth day, The air had been cleared and twelve steps leading to a door below the rock layer could be seen. The style dated back to the 18th dynasty. Was this the tomb of a nobleman buried here by Royal Permission? Was this a place where a mummy and its funerary objects had been hidden for safety? Or was this actually the Pharaoh’s tomb I had been searching for for so many years? On November 6, 1922, that is, the fifth day of the excavation, Carter sent a telegram to Carnarvon. ” Finally, fantastic discovery effect in Valais. Beautiful and intact tomb. Find your arrival day. Congratulations. ” About three weeks later, Carnarvon arrived in Egypt with his daughter, Evelyn. The day after, November 24, 1922, The work has begun. They first cleared the entrance at the bottom of the stairs. They then removed the limestone blocking the corridor. This blockage dates back to ancient times and was intended to stop thieves. From November 26, The corridor had been emptied and another door could be seen. Carter placed a candle in the room, beyond the door, and was able to observe the interior. ” First of all, I couldn’t see anything. Hot air escaped from the room, My eyes then got used to the light, and some details of the piece began to emerge from the whole. Strange animals, statues and gold shining everywhere. I was speechless.” And when Lord Carnarvon could bear the suspense no longer, he asked impatiently… “Can you see anything?” ” Yes, amazing things.” Eventually, November 25, 1922, It was indeed the tomb of Tout-en-Camon that had been found, and its excavation will prove as fascinating as its discovery. On November 29, 1922, Researchers have officially entered Tutankhamun’s tomb. Once inside, They proved that the place was unusual for an Egyptian pharaoh. Unlike many other tombs from the same period, Tutankhamun’s was small. The decorations on plans of the same period that had been discovered previously had been abandoned, Which led experts to believe that Tutankhamun died prematurely. It is likely that the tomb was originally built for someone else, So it was used in haste for Tutankhamun. For many reasons, It was an exceptional case, remaining intact because of the structures and construction projects located above. He had been left in the dark for a long time. Tutankhamun’s house of eternity had sunk into the mountain, showing modern civilization that the Valley of the Kings was a safe place to hide a pharaoh, as well as all the treasures he needed in the next world. However, according to experts, This was no secret to the thieves of antiquity. The objects that had been placed correctly by the priests and funeral participants were in disarray. The thefts had been noticed and the priests had put as many objects as possible back in their place. It was clear, however, that little thought was being given to restoring the tomb’s pieces to their original state. What could be seen now… Was the result of a quick cleanup after flights. Some experts believe the thieves were arrested before they actually started. Accordingly, when Carter began his excavations of the Tomb, known as Kings Valley No. 62 or KV62, Many funerary objects from all over Ancamon were still present. They had no idea who he was, of the duration of his reign, of his age. When removing the objects from the tomb, They began to get clues that he could not have been more than 18 years old when he died. Actually, one of the first clues found by researchers, which showed that Tutankhamun was still a pharaoh as a child, consisted of a glove found in the first section of the tomb. The small size of the glove showed them that the pharaoh was a pharaoh. Probably died before reaching adulthood. It is believed that everyone in Camon died between the ages of 18 and 19, after a reign lasting 9 years which began in 1333 BC. He was born during the 18th Dynasty and was the son of a pharaoh whose identity remains unknown. Like many facts of the time, Much of Tutankhamun’s life remains mysterious. But even time could not diminish the significance of some of the achievements he accomplished during his reign over Egypt. Tutankhamun’s role is too often diminished because he was a child, And he is considered an unimportant pharaoh in the history of Egyptian civilization. If you mean he didn’t reign for 67 years, like Ramses, or 54 years, like Thutmose III, If you mean that he didn’t make big campaigns to take over important parts of the world, You are right. But he is someone who restored order in the Empire after the heresy of Akhenaten. Akhenaten was Tutankhamun’s predecessor and possibly even his father. He is famous for his belief in one god, Aton, representing one of the aspects of the sun. Aton is represented in Egyptian reliefs by a circle that projects rays of light. And which ends in hands, giving life to the king and queen. Akhenaten’s faith in one god, Aton, was a strange cult for the Egyptians of the time, But it was made in one god. It was imposed during the reign of this Pharaoh, the God of goodness, the only one coming from Ré, whose perfection has modeled to your, useful, faithful to his Creator, who serves him, who begot him, who guides the country for him, who put him on the throne, which exalts to your. Who praises his name, which makes the country belong to its Creator. Ancient Egyptian inscription. Most of Athon’s life was spent building buildings dedicated to his god and demolishing those that existed before. He had brought a new order that would be abandoned in favor of the old. When Tutankhamun, 19 years old, will ascend the throne. So the temples of the gods were actively restored and new statues of these deities were made. All these things had been destroyed during the reign of Akhenaten. It was consequently a major concern of the following reign. It was necessary to reinstate the religious system with representations of the gods at the center of worship, practiced in temples. The significance of Tutankhamun’s reign is often debated. Some experts believe there is clear evidence inside his tomb that suggests people at the time approved of his reconstruction effort. I am among those who believe that his tomb contained many riches. This is because it was in his name that the restoration of worship was initiated. This was, among other things, to show appreciation for his restoration of worship. It is known that some of the objects in Tutankhamun’s tomb were not made for his funeral. They had been made for another or several other pharaohs. And kept in reserve. We brought them and changed the names on them to use them for everything in Camon. The tomb contained thousands of objects. Some were gifts to the pharaoh and others were things used during his lifetime. Everyone was amazed at the riches found during the discovery. However, the most precious element was not without artistic value. On February 16, 1923, Three months after entering the Pharaoh’s tomb, It was announced that the body of Tutankhamun was inside. For Carter and Carnarvon, It was an unforgettable moment. However, It will be short-lived for Carnarvon. After the discovery of the mummy, There were disputes about the distribution of objects. According to the Egyptian government, if the tomb was intact, he could prevent researchers from keeping the excavated objects. During this period, Carter and Carnavon disagreed on how to deal with the difficulties arising from the discovery. Then, February 23, Carter kicked Carnavon out and told him never to come back. This will be their last argument. On February 28, Carnarvon went to Aswan to rest. That’s where he was bitten on the face by a mosquito. He then shaved, which caused him an infection. Without being able to obtain antibiotics, Carnarvon’s condition initially improved, Then it got worse. On April 5, 1923, Carnavan died while giving birth to one of the most famous legends. A female writer of the time said that she told Lord Carnavan to be careful of the mystical beliefs of the Egyptians. And she explained that she was not surprised to see accidents happen to explorers who dared to enter the tombs of sovereigns. Due to the dramatic circumstances of the situation, People have suggested that there was a curse under which he was the first to suffer the effects. According to superstition, He who enters the tomb of a sovereign is cursed. Accordingly, The Lord’s illness was considered the fulfillment of this ancient legend. But of course, If you consider all the people who were part of the discovery, You will notice that the curse works in a strangely slow manner. The curse of Tutankhamun originated in the imagination of the people who were present at the opening of the tomb, who could not access the tomb and had no important things to do. So they invented a curse. While Amon may have sent his soul to kill whoever found it. The pharaoh’s curse surrounds his tomb. It is not based on an inscription or an object from the tomb. Egyptian curses exist, But this one is not real. This is fraud. The curse was perhaps nothing more than a ghost story such as we still find today. But it was part of the folklore surrounding the pharaoh and always aroused fear, even in 1972, when we did an exhibition on Tout-en-Chamon at the prestigious British Museum. This is a fact that is not known, But a few weeks before the exhibition began, One of the organizers died suddenly. It didn’t happen at the museum. His death took place elsewhere, But people were seized with worry, including those who, like us, worked in the museum. The team was then asked not to mention anything to anyone, because immediately, People would have said “Ah, the curse!” Personally, I had no anxiety while handling the objects. Finally ! I was especially concerned about not dropping them. I didn’t think about the curse. It’s already been 23 years old and still going strong. Carter paid no attention to the curse and later expressed regret. The feelings experienced by the Egyptologist are not a form of fear. But respect and admiration. This is the complete opposite of foolish superstition. It has been said that there were real dangers hidden in Tutankhamun’s tomb, A kind of mysterious force, called to manifest itself to take revenge on those who dare to enter the place. There is probably no other place in the world where there is so little risk as in this tomb. During the decade following 1922, Carter dedicated his time to excavating and preserving thousands of objects. At each excavation, There was additional information about the Pharaoh and especially his mummy. Tutankhamun’s tomb was the Howard Carter’s 433rd discovery since 1915. Neither he nor anyone else had ever seen anything like it before. It’s so impressive! I never dreamed of seeing anything like this. The antechamber of the Pharaoh’s tomb was still filled with magnificent objects. The room was in the same state as it had been left when it was closed in ancient times. James Henry Bresti. Many valuable items were crammed into the four-room space, and Carter took care to ensure the safety of each one. There were so many objects that it was difficult to move one without risking damaging others. In some cases… They were inextricably tangled, so that a support system had to be created in order to be able to hold an object, or a group of objects, While another one was being removed. Howard Carter. The nearby tombs had been converted into dark conservation rooms, where all the objects were recorded and then studied by a team of specialists from various countries. Carter and his team patiently documented and helped preserve this enormous quantity of ancient artifacts, to which the Egyptian government had claimed exclusive rights since 1925. From mid-February 1923, The antechamber had been cleared, except for two statues made in the image of Tutankhamun. Like so many other statues from ancient Egypt, they had a specific purpose. They could act for the mummy if the latter suffered damage of any kind, and they served as guardians of the burial chamber. It is interesting to note that before Carnavon’s death and before the official opening of the Tomb on February 17, 1923, Carter and Carnavon had succumbed to curiosity. In this photo, between the two human-sized statues, we can see a basket hanging on the wall. The basket had been placed there by the two researchers to hide a hole they had prematurely made in the wall. They wanted to see the room behind it. Carnarvon’s brother, Mervyn Herbert, described his brother’s nervousness during the official opening of the tomb. The poor old man was nervous, like a mischievous little schoolboy, afraid that it would be discovered that a hole had already been made. He was also naturally full of enthusiasm. His knowledge allowed him to know approximately what would be found, But he couldn’t help thinking that this kind of extraordinary moment only happens to very few people. Unfortunately, Carnarvon did not share Carter’s joy at exploring. The burial chamber, because he died less than six months after the excavation began. The burial chamber contained more than 300 objects, but none equaled the Golden Coffin, which lit up almost the entire room. There was one in another, then into another and into another. In total, there were four of them, but they were secondary to the Treasure they contained. With intense emotion, I removed the bolts from the last coffin. And I opened the panels gently by turning them. And there, Filling the interior, there was a huge yellow sarcophagus, intact, whose cover was still in place, And who was in the state in which pious hands had placed him. Howard Carter. The sarcophagus had been carved from a solid block of stone. But Carter thought the Lid was probably a replacement for the original. According to experts, This further shows that Tutankhamun’s funeral preparations were made quickly. It was also interesting to note that the lid of the sarcophagus was cracked, marking the delicately cut stone. It looked like there was an accident during the funeral. The craftsmen may have knocked off the lid while trying to move the sarcophagus in such a confined space. And they hadn’t had time to completely repair it. It feels like they rushed to fix it a bit before putting it back together. And it was recently noticed that the sarcophagus had been altered before being used for Tutankhamun’s funeral. We now see inscriptions and divine figures on the exterior of the bust. But originally, there was a different layer. And if you look closely, you will see traces of previous decorations. This has given rise to a number of theories, suggesting that the sarcophagus may have been made for someone else. Carter lifted the lid of the sarcophagus almost a year to the day after the tomb was officially opened. The lid opened easily. And at the beginning, we saw that a long space, narrow and dark. The dark space soon revealed a golden coffin that would turn out to be the first in a series of three. Using the levers on the sides, The lid was lifted and another coffin was discovered. Afterwards, Carter removed the second and third lids and finally the last coffin was seen. Before us was an impressive mummy that had been carefully made and occupied the entire interior of the golden coffin. And then there was a moment of incomparable emotion when the researchers noticed that the mummy’s head was covered by one of the most specific treasures. The mask of Tutankhamun. The Egyptians believed that if all went well during the final journey, the deceased could live with the gods. And, In this case, The purpose of the mask was to emphasize the divine attributes of the deceased. This was done through an inscription on the back of the object, taken from the Book of the Dead. In this inscription, we see that the varied elements of the deceased’s head, the eyes, the nose, the ears, The eyebrows, are all compared through the mask, with the corresponding elements on the bodies of different gods. The aim of this process is to bring the deceased into the divine sphere to make him a God through the association of the different parts of his body. Along with that of a whole series of deities who are concerned with accomplishing the resurrection. Your right eye is the night boat. Your left eye is the hard boat. Your eyebrows are the Aeneads. The top of your head is Anubis. The back of your head is Horus. Your fingers are Thoth. Re heard your name and you were justified, O son of Athor. And your head will never be removed. Rise in peace. The people of the time had done their best to prepare the Pharaoh to undergo his final transformation. However, Tutankhamun’s tomb had some problems, especially regarding the mummy. It was very important for Carter to remove the mummy’s bandages himself. He wanted to find proof of how old Tutankhamun was when he died. He also wanted to look for clues about the Sovereign’s family relationships with other pharaohs of the 18th dynasty. The world press was focused on the same imperatives. Everyone wanted to see Tutankhamun’s face. Carter tried to extract the body, but in vain because oils had been poured inside to protect the mummy. Carter therefore reluctantly had to cut the body into several pieces to remove it from the sarcophagus. Which allowed the filming. The final part of the rite consisted of pouring liters of sacred oil. In this case, on Tutankhamun, which damaged the mummy badly. Accordingly, When the autopsy was performed on Tutankhamun’s mummy, It was in very bad condition. The oils had also made Tutankhamun’s mask adhere firmly to his face. So we had to separate his head from the mask using hot knives. When we were able to free his face, The Pharaoh, all in Camon, finally appeared. The young Pharaoh was finally there before us. It was the culmination of our long research. The tomb had given up its secret. The message of the past had reached the present despite time and the erosion of so many years. Howard Carter After removing Tutankhamun’s mummy from the coffin, we carefully unrolled his strips. Under the layers of linen, More than a hundred jewels were found. In Antiquity, They were considered magical and were intended to help Tutankhamun during his difficult journey to the afterlife. But this is not the only form of magic that could be found in the tomb. There were objects in the tomb that no one had seen before and whose purpose remains obscure to this day. There was a very beautiful vase and I often wondered if it had magical powers. It was an alabaster vase with no painting on the outside. There is nothing painted inside. But if you put a light source on it, a portrait of Tutankhamun and Akhenaten appears. It must have seemed magical. Despite the speed with which the preparation of Tutankhamun’s tomb had been made, Much had been done for the final transformation of the Pharaoh. There were small boats, headrests, games, instruments. Weapons, chairs, necklaces, vases, boxes, bracelets, A throne and even small statues representing servants and which are called “ouchapti”. These little statues were supposed to take your place in the afterlife. If you were called to work, the statue answered For you. And that’s why they’re named. “Ushapti”, that is, “respondents”. If you were called, the little statue stood up and said “present”. Tutankhamun was buried with hundreds of these statues. So, he would never have to work in the next world. It seems that Tutankhamun’s tomb was prepared by the Egyptians following the beliefs in the afterlife. For more than ten years, Carter tried to preserve all their work, including the sovereign’s mummy. I made arrangements to have his body left in the sarcophagus forever, his resting place. Until this day, Howard Carter’s wish was respected. In the KV62 site, More than 3000 years after his funeral, Tutankhamun’s mummy rests in his house of eternity. This tomb has perhaps been considered the greatest discovery of the 20th century so far. A few steps from Tutankhamun’s tomb is Kings Valley Site No. 5, where an excavation is in progress. In May 1995, in the Valley of the Kings, A long-known tomb has attracted public interest. More than 70 years after Howard Carter’s astonishing discovery of Tutankhamun, The public’s imagination was captured by news from Egypt. Once again, The vanished civilization promised to reveal a little more about its past through excavation at the site. Kings Valley No. 5, or rather KV-5. The existence of KV-5 had been noted since the time of its first visitor, James Burton, an English explorer, who had begun its excavation in 1825. At the time, The tomb had been blocked from floor to ceiling by flood debris, But Burton had been able to get in and had made sketches of everything he had seen, that is, mainly the top of the tomb. Then, in 1902, there was another visitor, Howard Carter. Carter thought the tomb was small and unimportant. So he gave up exploring, using the hill on the lead to dump debris from another project. Thanks to Carter, KV-5 remained buried under more than 3 meters of rock debris until 1987. It was then that a team of archaeologists working in the area began to excavate it. To complete their work, They were trying to find the entrance before seeing the Egyptian government carry out its project to expand the road used by tourist coaches, which could have damaged the tomb. In a few days of work, They had exposed the entrance and used the space through which Burton himself had entered the tomb. And there you have it, The first room is about 3 meters long, 3 meters, 60 wide and 2 meters 70 high. It is filled with flood debris up to about 5 centimeters from the ceiling. These debris flow into the tomb approximately every 200 years, when it rains in the Valley of the Kings. After being able to enter, Archaeologists spent the next six years excavating the first two coins. And finally, KV V revealed its story. On the walls, There were decorations that had been damaged by a leak in the sewers above. The texts had crumbled, but some of the reliefs were still intact, showing the greatest pharaoh in the history of Egypt, Ramses II, as he presented his deceased sons to the gods. At that moment, the KV5 site proved to be more important, contrary to what James Burton and Howard Carter had originally imagined. As we dug deeper into the debris, Thousands of pieces of pottery were found on the floor of one of the rooms, hundreds of fragments of jewelry, fragments of statues, sarcophagi, canopic jars, all kinds of leftovers. But all this clearly showed that the tomb had been used for the sons of Ramses II. Over the course of six years, after clearing the first two rooms, we noticed that even the second room was decorated, And more and more inscriptions were found bearing the names of the Pharaoh’s sons. During the winter of 1994-1995, Archaeologists have begun a new excavation of the tomb to look beyond the first two rooms. They found another room, with 16 pillars and a corridor at the back. Which allowed them to see that there was still much more to discover thanks to this fantastic excavation. From 10 a.m., February 2, 1995, The debris blocking the back corridor had been cleared. Archaeologists no longer had to use the entrance made by Burton. They could exit the third room through a corridor that was 30 meters long. KV-5 was huge! I think our first reaction was, “My God, This is not possible! There were three of us in the tomb that day, and seeing this for the first time, we kept saying “I can’t believe it!” This is not possible! I can’t believe it!” The corridor was T-shaped. And on both sides, There were two more corridors that contained about 50 rooms that served as offering chapels for the ancient priests. At the intersection of these corridors, There was a relief in the stone clearly depicting Osiris, whose head had long since fallen off. During the excavation, It became evident that the tomb had been looted during antiquity. But for 2500 years, KV-5 had been able to keep its secrets. The archaeologists were astonished by such a spectacle. It is the largest tomb in the Valley of the Kings and probably in Egypt. His plan is unique. Most of the tombs in the valley have corridors that run directly into the hillside. But the plan of this one is like that of a labyrinth, like an octopus, with tentacles going in all directions. It is the first example of a family mausoleum in the history of Egypt. Archaeologists are certain that at least four of Ramses II’s sons were buried there. and maybe even… 48 in all. He also believes that there are burial chambers beneath the corridors, supporting the offering chapels. The excavation continues and will perhaps explain when, why and for whom the tomb was built. What lies inside remains a mystery that may be solved in the coming decade, But only time will tell. For now, The discovery itself is enough to give hope to those who are searching for a distant past. Everyone thought we were done with the Valley of the Kings, that we knew everything, And that the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, made by Howard Carter, had marked the end. So we could all go home, There was nothing else to find. But 73 years later, We have proven all of this to be false, and I don’t think the end is near. A place as explored as the Valley of the Kings is always full of surprises. And that could lead to major changes in what we know about ancient Egypt. KV 5. All in camon. Hieroglyphs. The pyramids. The Sphinx. And the mummies tell us the story of ancient Egypt. It was a country where imagination mingled with intellect, Religion was mixed with mythology and where abstract ideas formed the basis of reality. In so many ways, Egypt still remains mysterious, but one thing is certain, People of antiquity were in a struggle against time, desperately trying to achieve eternal life. It is impossible to say that all the efforts of antiquity were in vain. Their success and failure remain hidden in the veiled darkness of death. Behind the mummies, carefully preserved, there was hope, A kind of dream where people bravely faced their own death and refused passivity. Below.
Plongée au cœur de l’Égypte ancienne : ce documentaire fascinant explore les secrets des momies, des rites funéraires et des hiéroglyphes mystérieux. Des premiers tombeaux aux trésors de Toutankhamon, partez sur les traces des pharaons et des archéologues qui ont percé les mystères de cette civilisation millénaire.
