FUN WITH MAPS – ISSUE 2022-032 DAILY FEATURE:

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (February 16, 2022) – In Issue 2022-032 of Steve Kovacs Fun with Maps, we celebrate the history of an iconic King!

WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN

The seal was broken on King Tut’s burial site in 1923 on this day.  

There have been many rumors about the early deaths of those involved in the excavation and opening of King Tut’s tomb – “the course of the pharaohs.”   While several members of the party did die within months or few years after the opening, the lead member of the expedition, Howard Carter, died in his London flat 16 years later.  Some waited to pass for up to 57 years later.  The “curse” likely originates with some journalists of the time trying to increase newspaper sales through a sensational news item.

King Tut, or more correctly Tutankhamun, was elevated to the throne at age 8 or 9 and died 10 years later.  He did accomplish a lot, though.  Importantly, he restored the ancient Egyptian religion and returned the throne to Thebes.

He married his half-sister and they had two daughters, only to lose them just before and just after birth. 

The artifacts found in King Tut’s tomb were untouched for about 3500 years.  Part of the findings have been exhibited from time to time in many cities globally since the early 1970s.

Here is Tanner’s map of Egypt from 1836.

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.

Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Antique Maps & Fun Facts here on Loveland Beacon.