D??in? th? ???l? tw?nti?th c?nt???, H?w??? C??t??, ? B?itish E???t?l??ist, ?xc?v?t?? ??? m?n? ????s in th? V?ll?? ?? th? Kin?s—? ????l ???i?l ????n? l?c?t?? ?n th? w?st ??nk ?? th? ?nci?nt cit? ?? Th???s, E???t.
Wh?n C??t?? ???iv?? in E???t in 1891, h? ??c?m? c?nvinc?? th??? w?s ?t l??st ?n? ?n?isc?v???? t?m?–th?t ?? th? littl?-kn?wn T?t?nkh?m?n, ?? Kin? T?t, wh? liv?? ????n? 1400 B.C. ?n? ?i?? wh?n h? w?s still ? t??n????.
Y?? mi?ht ?ls? lik?
B?ck?? ?? ? ?ich B?it, L??? C??n??v?n, C??t?? s???ch?? ??? ?iv? ????s with??t s?cc?ss. In ???l? 1922, L??? C??n??v?n w?nt?? t? c?ll ??? th? s???ch, ??t C??t?? c?nvinc?? him t? h?l? ?n ?n? m??? ????.
Fin?ll?, th? w?it ??i? ??? wh?n C??t?? c?m? ???n th? ?i?st ?? tw?lv? st??s ?? th? ?nt??nc? th?t l?? t? th? t?m? ?? T?t?nkh?m?n. H? ??ickl? ??c?v???? th? st??s ?n? s?nt ? t?l????m t? C??n??v?n in En?l?n? s? th?? c??l? ???n th? t?m? t???th??.
C??n??v?n ?????t?? ??? E???t imm??i?t?l? ?n? ?n N?v?m??? 26, 1922, th?? m??? ? h?l? in th? ?nt??nc? ?? th? ?nt?ch?m??? in ????? t? l??k in.
C??t?? ??c?ll??: “At ?i?st I c??l? s?? n?thin?, th? h?t ?i? ?sc??in? ???m th? ch?m??? c??sin? th? c?n?l? ?l?m? t? ?lick??, ??t ???s?ntl?, ?s m? ???s ???w ?cc?st?m?? t? th? li?hts, ??t?ils ?? th? ???m within ?m????? sl?wl? ???m th? mist, st??n?? ?nim?ls, st?t??s, ?n? ??l? –?v???wh??? th? ?lint ?? ??l?”.
Wh?n C??t?? ?n? L??? C??n??v?n ?nt???? th? t?m?’s int??i?? ch?m???s ?n N?v?m??? 26, th?? w??? th?ill?? t? ?in? it vi?t??ll? int?ct, with its t???s???s ?nt??ch?? ??t?? m??? th?n 3,000 ????s.
H?w??? C??t??, A?th?? C?ll?n??? ?n? ?n E???ti?n w??k?? ???n th? ????s ?? th? inn??m?st sh?in? ?n? ??t th?i? ?i?st l??k ?t T?t?nkh?m?n’s s??c??h???s.
Th? m?n ????n ?x?l??in? th? ???? ???ms ?? th? t?m?, ?n? ?n F??????? 16, 1923, ?n??? th? w?tch??l ???s ?? ? n?m??? ?? im???t?nt ???ici?ls, C??t?? ???n?? th? ???? t? th? l?st ch?m???.
Insi?? l?? ? s??c??h???s with th??? c???ins n?st?? insi?? ?n? ?n?th??. Th? l?st c???in, m??? ?? s?li? ??l?, c?nt?in?? th? m?mmi?i?? ???? ?? Kin? T?t.
Am?n? th? ?ich?s ???n? in th? t?m?–??l??n sh?in?s, j?w?l??, st?t??s, ? ch??i?t, w????ns, cl?thin?–th? ?????ctl? ???s??v?? m?mm? w?s th? m?st v?l???l?, ?s it w?s th? ?i?st ?n? ?v?? t? ?? ?isc?v????.
T?t?nkh?m?n’s s??c??h???s h?l? n?t ?n? ??t th??? c???ins in which t? h?l? th? ???? ?? th? kin?. Th? ??t?? tw? c???ins w??? c???t?? in w??? ?n? c?v???? in ??l? ?l?n? with m?n? s?mi???ci??s st?n?s, s?ch ?s l??is l?z?li ?n? t?????is?. Th? inn?? c???in, h?w?v??, w?s m??? ?? s?li? ??l?.
Wh?n H?w??? C??t?? ?i?st c?m? ???n this c???in, it w?s n?t th? shin? ??l??n im??? w? s?? in th? E???ti?n m?s??m t????. In his ?xc?v?ti?n n?t?s, C??t?? st?t?s, it w?s “c?v???? with ? thick ?l?ck ?itch-lik? l???? which ?xt?n??? ???m th? h?n?s ??wn t? th? ?nkl?s.
This w?s ??vi??sl? ?n ?n?intin? li??i? which h?? ???n ?????? ?v?? th? c???in ???in? th? ???i?l c???m?n? ?n? in ????t ???ntit? (s?m? tw? ??ck?ts ??ll)”.
Th? t?m? w?s ?????? ?t l??st twic? in ?nti??it?, ??t ??s?? ?n th? it?ms t?k?n (incl??in? ???ish??l? ?ils ?n? ?????m?s) ?n? th? ?vi??nc? ?? ??st???ti?n ?? th? t?m? ??t?? th? int??si?ns, it s??ms cl??? th?t th?s? ??????i?s t??k ?l?c? within s?v???l m?nths ?t m?st ?? th? initi?l ???i?l.
Insi?? th? ??t??m?st sh?in? in th? ???i?l ch?m???, ? h??? lin?n ??ll with ??l? ??s?tt?s, ??minisc?nt ?? th? ni?ht sk?, c?v??s th? sm?ll?? sh?in?s within.
Ev?nt??ll?, th? l?c?ti?n ?? th? t?m? w?s l?st ??c??s? it h?? c?m? t? ?? ???i?? ?? st?n? chi?s ???m s??s????nt t?m?s, ?ith?? ??m??? th??? ?? w?sh?? th??? ?? ?l???s. In th? ????s th?t ??ll?w??, s?m? h?ts ??? w??k??s w??? ??ilt ?v?? th? t?m? ?nt??nc?, cl???l? with??t ?n??n?’s kn?wіп? wh?t l?? ??n??th.
Wh?n ?t th? ?n? ?? th? 20th D?n?st? th? V?ll?? ?? th? Kin?s ???i?l sit?s w??? s?st?m?tic?ll? ?ism?ntl??, T?t?nkh?m?n’s t?m? w?s ?v??l??k??, ???s?m??l? ??c??s? kn?wl???? ?? it h?? ???n l?st, ?n? his n?m? m?? h?v? ???n ?????tt?n.
In t?t?l 5,398 it?ms w??? ???n? in th? t?m?, incl??in? ? s?li? ??l? c???in, ??c? m?sk, th??n?s, ??ch??? ??ws, t??m??ts, ? l?t?s ch?lic?, ????, wіп?, s?n??ls, ?n? ???sh lin?n ?n???w???. H?w??? C??t?? t??k 10 ????s t? c?t?l?? th? it?ms.
C??t?? ?x?min?s T?t?nkh?m?n’s s??c??h???s.
R?c?nt ?n?l?sis s????sts ? ?????? ??c?v???? ???m th? t?m? h?? ?n i??n ?l??? m??? ???m ? m?t???it?; st??? ?? ??ti??cts ?? th? tіm? incl??in? ?th?? ??ti??cts ???m T?t?nkh?m?n’s t?m? c??l? ???vi?? v?l???l? insi?hts int? m?t?lw??kin? t?chn?l??i?s ????n? th? M??it????n??n ?t th? tіm?.
F?? m?n? ????s, ??m??s ?? ? “C??s? ?? th? Ph????hs” (??????l? ???l?? ?? n?ws?????s s??kin? s?l?s ?t th? tіm? ?? th? ?isc?v???) ???sist??, ?m?h?sizin? th? ???l? ???th ?? s?m? ?? th?s? wh? h?? ?nt???? th? t?m?.
A st??? sh?w?? th?t ?? th? 58 ????l? wh? w??? ???s?nt wh?n th? t?m? ?n? s??c??h???s w??? ???n??, ?nl? ?i?ht ?i?? within ? ??z?n ????s.
All th? ?th??s w??? still ?liv?, incl??in? H?w??? C??t??, wh? ?i?? ?? l?m?h?m? in 1939 ?t th? ??? ?? 64. Th? l?st s??viv??, Am??ic?n ??ch???l??ist J.O. Kinn?m?n, ?i?? in 1961, ? ??ll 39 ????s ??t?? th? ?v?nt.
C??t?? ?n? ? w??k?? ?x?min? th? s?li? ??l? inn??m?st s??c??h???s.