How was the tomb decorated?
Upon entrance to the tomb many treasures were found and described as "wonderful things by the archaeologist Howard Carter.
The burial chamber was the only room in the tomb that had wall decorations, this was very strange because usually the entire tombs were decorated with various references to the "Book of the dead." It is believed that this is because of the young king's early and unexpected death.
The burial chamber was the only room in the tomb that had wall decorations, this was very strange because usually the entire tombs were decorated with various references to the "Book of the dead." It is believed that this is because of the young king's early and unexpected death.
The four scenes
This image shows the decorations that were shown on the walls of the burial chamber and the references to the "Book of the dead."
Each wall has it's own theme that mean certain things. The north wall is a reference to Tutankhamun arriving in the afterlife. The east wall shows a reference to the funeral. The south wall was slightly damaged and represents Tutankhamun's eternal life in the afterlife. The western wall was significantly different to the other walls, it had 12 baboons representing the 12 hours of night Tutankhamun must pass through to get to the afterlife.
Each wall has it's own theme that mean certain things. The north wall is a reference to Tutankhamun arriving in the afterlife. The east wall shows a reference to the funeral. The south wall was slightly damaged and represents Tutankhamun's eternal life in the afterlife. The western wall was significantly different to the other walls, it had 12 baboons representing the 12 hours of night Tutankhamun must pass through to get to the afterlife.
The opening of the mouth ceremony
The opening of the mouth was a ceremony performed to open the mouth of a mummy to allow it to speak and breathe. Certain items were used to perform the ceremony. These items included a ritual adze, a spooned blade, an arm like censer, many forms of amulets,and a serpent-headed blade. Ancient Egyptians had believed that if someone were to survive in the afterlife they would need things such as food and water. The mouth of the mummy was opened so they could eat and drink in the afterlife. This ritual was represented on the walls of the burial chamber, it shows Tutankhamun dying and falling intl the afterlife.