Leading up to 1922, Egyptologists had discovered 62 tombs in West Thebes in a section they called the Valley of the Kings. All the tombs were empty. Although they were well hidden, the tombs had been robbed, most likely in ancient times. Egyptian writings describe harsh punishments handed out to thieves who were caught. When ancient Greek writer Diodorus Siculus visited the tombs in 60 BCE, he wrote, “We found nothing there except the results of pillage and destruction.” In 1922, after eight years of digging through the Valley of the Kings, Howard Carter struck gold, both figuratively and literally. The tomb he and his team unearthed showed an
1. abundance of treasures that had been preserved for centuries
2. extraordinary amount of damage from thieves
3. evidence of rituals used in ancient burials
4. collection of writings from ancient historians
The correct answer is 1. abundance of treasures that had been preserved for centuries.
Howard Carter’s discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 revealed a vast array of treasures, including jewelry, furniture, and other artifacts that had remained largely untouched for over 3,000 years. This find was significant because it was one of the few royal tombs that had not been extensively robbed, allowing researchers to study the rich burial practices and artifacts of ancient Egypt in great detail.