Tomb of Tutankhamun

The Tomb of Tutankhamun is the small 18th‑Dynasty burial designated KV62 in the Valley of the Kings, on the west bank of the Nile opposite Luxor. It became world-famous after its discovery by Howard Carter in 1922 and is notable as one of the few royal tombs found largely intact of its burial furnishings.

The tomb consists of a short passage, antechamber and a burial chamber with associated annexes; original wooden chests, furniture and funerary goods were recovered during the 1920s excavations. Many of the most famous objects recovered from the tomb were transferred to Egyptian museums for study and display, so the tomb interior now contains remnants and conserved wall decoration rather than the full complement of original artifacts.

The burial was prepared for the young pharaoh Tutankhamun of the 18th Dynasty, who died around 1323 BC; the tomb’s find transformed modern understanding of New Kingdom royal burial equipment and sparked intensive archaeological and conservation work in the decades that followed.

The tomb sits in the Valley of the Kings on the Theban Necropolis on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the modern city of Luxor (ancient Thebes). Visitor access is controlled for conservation reasons and the site is reached by road from Luxor’s west bank.

• Discovery: Designated Tomb KV62 in the Valley of the Kings, it was uncovered by Howard Carter in November 1922 with financial backing from Lord Carnarvon.
• Collections and conservation: Many of the tomb's movable objects, including the gold funerary mask, were removed to Egyptian museums after excavation, so the on-site remains are limited and conserved for preservation.

What to See #

• Antechamber: Entryway corridor and antechamber retain painted decoration and were the initial spaces encountered by Carter's team during the 1922 discovery of the tomb now catalogued as KV62.
• Burial Chamber: The burial chamber held the nested sarcophagi and original coffin elements; much of the movable funerary furniture and many objects were removed in the 1920s and now reside in Egyptian museums.
• Annexes and storerooms: Smaller annexes and side storerooms contained chests and grave goods; these subsidiary spaces were part of the original tomb plan and yielded many of the objects recovered during excavation.