What's in the tombs of the pharaohs?

When British archaeologist Howard Carter opened King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922, he discovered precious treasures including a golden mask, a throne and even a pair of gold sandals. But not every royal tomb in ancient Egypt contained lavish burials. Although the Great Pyramid of Giza and many other Egyptian pyramids are magnificent, the burial items inside are relatively simple compared to those in the tombs of later pharaohs such as Tutankhamun.

Tomb of pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings.

"Funeral in the largest pyramids can look quite plain compared to Tutankhamun," said Wolfram Grajetzki, a PhD student at University College London, UK, who specializes in ancient Egyptian burial customs. .

The pyramids were used as the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh from the time of pharaoh Djoser (reigned from 2630 to 2611 BC) to Ahmose I (reigned from 1550 to 1525 BC). Much of the pyramid was plundered decades ago, but a few royal tombs are still relatively intact, according to Grajetzki.

For example, Princess Neferuptah (who lived in 1800 BC) was buried in a pyramid at the Hawara ruins, 100 km south of Cairo. Researchers excavated her burial chamber in 1956 and found pottery, coffins, some gilded ornaments and a series of royal insignia that helped identify the tomb's owner.

King Hor (who lived 1750 BC) was buried with a similar set of clothes, although his remains were not placed in a pyramid. King Hor's body was wrapped in a cold cloth, his internal organs were in a jar. His face was covered with a mask of a mummy.

The tomb of queen Hetepheres, mother of pharaoh Khufu (the builder of the Great Pyramid), contains more elaborate objects. Located in Giza, the tomb has a bed, two chairs decorated in gold, along with pottery and small bronze tools.

The side chamber beneath the unfinished pyramid of pharaoh Sekhemkhet (2611 - 2605 BC) in Saqqara has not been looted by tomb robbers, according to Egyptologist Reg Clark. The king's coffin was empty, but the archaeological team found 21 gold bracelets, a staff and other gold jewelry in a corridor. Although very valuable, the above burial items cannot match the wealth in the tomb of pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Unlike early pharaohs, pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb is located in the Valley of the Kings, a remote valley near modern-day Luxor that served as a royal cemetery for more than 500 years during the New Kingdom. "This does not mean that pharaoh Khufu was poorer than Tutankhamun. The pyramid of Khufu shows the opposite. Each pharaoh was buried according to the custom of their time," Grajetzki explained.

During the New Kingdom, if possible, the Egyptians often sought to place large amounts of ornaments in the graves. Researchers are not sure why they do this. Although containing less burial material than later tombs, some pyramids have hieroglyphic inscriptions on the walls, recording some curses and rituals, allowing the fusion of two souls separated from the body of the dead. and help them survive in the afterlife.