Tutankhamun's trumpet : the story of ancient Egypt in 100 objects from the boy-king's tomb

Marking the one hundredth anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's magnificent tomb, its incredible treasures are revealed as never before. In 1922, after fifteen years of searching, archaeologists finally discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun. There, buried alongside the king's mummy, they found more than 5,000 unique objects, from the mundane to the extravagant, from the precious to the everyday. Tutankhamun's spectacular gold mask is justifiably famous, but the rest of the treasures remain largely unknown, their stories untold. In this rich and beautifully illustrated work of history, renowned Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson allows one hundred artifacts from the boy king's tomb to speak again—not only for themselves, but as witnesses of the civilization that created them. A gold-decorated chariot reveals the impressive scale of Egyptian technology. Loaves of bread, baskets of fruit, and jars of wine hint at the fertility of the Nile Valley and the abundant feasts enjoyed by its people. Ebony and ivory from Nubia and a jewel of Libyan desert glass show the range of Egypt's trading and diplomatic networks. Shaving equipment and board games provide a window into the everyday lives of the people. And perhaps most poignant of all the objects in the tomb is one that conjures up a lost world of human experience: Tutankhamun's silver trumpet. Through these treasures, Wilkinson bring us face-to-face with the culture of the pharaohs, its extraordinary development, its remarkable flourishing, and its lasting impact. Filled with surprising insights and vivid details, Tutankhamun's Trumpet offers an indelible portrait of the history, people, and legacy of ancient Egypt. On 26 November 1922 Howard Carter first peered into the newly opened tomb of an ancient Egyptian boy-king. When asked if he could see anything, he replied: Yes, yes, wonderful things. In Tutankhamuns Trumpet , acclaimed Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson takes a unique approach to a well-worn subject. Instead of concentrating on the oft-told story of the discovery, or speculating on the (brief) life and (fractious) times of the boy-king, Wilkinson takes the objects buried with the king as the source material for a wide-ranging, detailed portrait of ancient Egypt its geography, history, culture and legacy. One hundred artefacts from the tomb, arranged in ten thematic groups, are allowed to speak again not only for themselves, but as witnesses of the civilization that created them. Never before have the treasures of Tutankhamun been analyzed and presented for what they can tell us about ancient Egyptian culture, its extraordinary development, its remarkable flourishing, and its lasting impact. Like Tutankhamun himself, the music which surrounded him has vanished. All that remains are echoes of the past, survivors of an age long gone, the stuff of interpretation and reinterpretation. But through the objects buried with him, his world, and the civilization of ancient Egypt of which he remains the ultimate symbol, can be brought back to life. Filled with surprising insights, unusual details, vivid descriptions and, above all, remarkable objects, Tutankhamuns Trumpet will appeal to all lovers of history, archaeology, art and culture, as well as all those fascinated by the Egypt of the pharaohs. "Marking the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's spectacular tomb, its incredible treasures are revealed as never before. In 1922, after fifteen years of searching, archaeologists finally discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun. There, buried alongside the king's mummy, they found more than 5,000 unique objects, each with a story to tell about ancient life. Tutankhamun's spectacular gold mask is justifiably famous, but the rest of the treasures remain largely unknown. In this rich and beautifully illustrated work of history, renowned Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson examines a civilization through the lens of the objects it most prized, from the precious (a ceremonial sickle, an ostrich-feather fan, a gold-decorated chariot) to the everyday (shaving equipment, a first-aid kit, loaves of bread). And perhaps most poignant of all the objects in the tomb is one that conjures up a lost world of human experience: Tutankhamun's silver trumpet. Wilkinson tells the stories of 100 such artifacts, creating an indelible portrait not just of Tutankhamun, but of the history, culture, and people of Ancient Egypt"-- Provided by publisher