Tut Tut

A double Tut treat Saturday: first a private walkthrough of the Tut show at the AGO courtesy of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, then a trek through the dusk to hear rockstar Egyptologist and Secretary General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities Dr. Zahi Hawass speak at the U of T on the Mysteries of Tutankhamun Revealed.

Convocation Hall was packed with fans eager to hear the Discovery Channel darling and the charismatic Dr. Hawass did not disappoint. His slides were stunning; it's amazing what he gets up (or down) to. We were the first to hear of major new discoveries made just two weeks ago. Stay up to date by visiting Dr. Hawass's website.

I've been reading James Patterson's 2009 nonfiction thriller The Murder of King Tut and it's a fun, well-researched read despite his murder theory being dashed by recent scientific evidence.

Dr. Hawass insists that the historic record (walking canes in Tut's tomb, portraits showing him hunting from a seated position with cane in hand) indicates that the Boy Pharaoh had a severe genetic bone disease that was a major contributor to his death.

The private tour of the AGO's Tut exhibit was a real pleasure. Without the crowds I was able to see more and linger where I wanted. If you haven't seen it yet, go. It's on until April 18th.

Tut Show

Outside the Art Gallery of Ontario in December sleet, colossal Anubis guards the treasures within. The King Tut: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs show is a wonder and very much worth the expense to visit. For my full review, check out my article on Examiner.com (I'm their new Toronto Cultural Travel Examiner) and while you're there, subscribe!
The story of Tut is actually the story of two boys: the mysterious Egyptian Boy Pharaoh and another, more modern, English boy who would grow up to discover his tomb.  Howard Carter (1874-1939) was a sickly son of humble origins, his father a draughtsman who educated him as an artist.  In 1891, seventeen-year-old Howard was hired by the Egypt Exploration Fund to document finds and left his drizzly homeland for the first time, making the expedition to strange, sweltering Alexandria.

By the age of 25, diligent Howard had attained the position of Inspector General of Monuments for Upper Egypt, his duties including the overseeing of all Nile valley excavations.
It wasn't a straight-up trajectory to the discovery of Tut's tomb in 1922, though, or afterwards. The fascinating Find a Grave website tells Carter's story very well.  It's a story just as surprising as Tutankhamun's.