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The Valley of the Kings, Egypt - A view of Howard Carter's archaeological excavations of the tombs of Ramses VI and Tutankhamun ("King Tut"), Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, 1922.

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Howard Carter (1874–1939) - The British archaeologist and Egyptologist began excavating the Valley of the Kings in 1917, resuming the dig he had started before World War I broke out.

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George Herbert, Lord Carnarvon (1866–1923) -

A wealthy English peer and aristocrat, Carnarvon bankrolled the search for and excavation of King Tut's tomb.

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One last chance - After years of digging and with money running out, a worried Carnarvon gave the archaeologist one last chance to come up with a result. Pictured is Lord Carnarvon, his daughter Lady Evelyn Herbert, and Carter at the Valley of the Kings in November 1922.

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The discovery of the century! - On November 4, 1922 Carter finally discovered Tutankhamun's tomb... and made history! Pictured is the unbroken seal of the third innermost shrine.

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Opening the sarcophagus - Carter and an assistant crouch over Tutankhamen's newly opened sarcophagus. Although the tomb was discovered on November 4, 1922 it wasn't until February 16, 1923 that the innermost shrine was breached.

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The burial mask revealed -

The now famous burial mask as it appeared in the 1920s. The Boy King was born c.1,341 BCE and died c.1,323 BCE. He reigned for a little under 10 years.

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KV62 -

The tomb of the young pharaoh as it looks today. Carter designated the site KV62. The wall decorations in KV62's burial chamber are modest in comparison with other royal tombs unearthed in the Valley of the Kings.

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Priceless artifacts - The treasure trove of objects found in the antechamber of King Tutankhamen's burial tomb, photographed in 1923. The hoard of priceless artifacts included an embroidered couch devoted to the goddess Hathor.

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Emptying the tomb - Crates filled with grave goods are brought out of the newly-discovered tomb of Tutankhamun.

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Cataloging the contents of the antechamber - Arthur Mace of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art (left) and British chemist Alfred Lucas, working with the Egyptian government, inspect a spectacular chariot recovered from the tomb.

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Inspecting the cache - Howard Carter (left) and his team carry out the systematic removal of objects from the antechamber. Carter’s painstaking cataloging of the thousands of objects found continued until 1932.

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Handle with care - Working under a hot Egyptian sun, bearers carefully remove objects from the tomb.

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Mask without beard - The fantastically ornate burial mask photographed in the 1920s without its distinctive beard.

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The bead necklace and beard - King Tut's beard and bead necklace after both items were cleaned. The beard was later reattached.

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Mask of Tutankhamun - One of the most recognized works of art in the world, the burial mask as it looks today. It's layered with high-karat gold and decorated with colored glass and precious gems, including prized lapis lazuli. It weighs 10.23 kg (22.6 lb).

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Tutankhamun exhibited - The coffin that actually held the mortal remains of Tutankhamun. In all there were four miniature coffins. Each stood in a separate compartment in an alabaster chest.

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King Tut on show - The coffin is estimated to be worth well over £1 million (US$1.3 million). But of course, this extraordinary artifact is simply priceless.

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A life examined - King Tut's mummy shows that when he died he was approximately 18 years old. Pictured is medical imagery of Tutankhamun above a replica of his skull.

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Grave goods -

The tomb's antechamber was packed with treasure. In fact, a total of 5,398 items were recovered, including thrones, trumpets, daggers, and royal jewelry.

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Priceless artifacts -

Tutankhamun receives flowers from Ankhesenamun (a queen of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt). This elaborate image is on the lid of a box found in King Tut's tomb.

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Personal possessions -

A winged scarab of Tutankhamun with semi-precious stones.

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A comfortable afterlife -

A chair recovered from King Tut's tomb.

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Game of Thrones -

A game box and pieces for playing the ancient Egyptian board game of Senet.

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Keeping a lid on things -

A beautiful canopic jar lid recovered from the tomb.

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The Egyptian Museum, Cairo -

When King Tut isn't touring the world, he can be found as part of the extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities housed in this world-renowned museum.

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On permanent display - King Tut's brilliant gold coffin is naturally one of the museum's stand-out exhibits.

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A different view - The rear of Tutankhamun's burial mask.

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Valley of the Kings - The site of King Tut's tomb lies in the Valley of the Kings, one of Egypt's most compelling tourist destinations. Other top attractions here include the tombs of Ramses VI and Tuthmosis III.

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The Tutankhamun Curse -

Five months after the tomb's discovery, Lord Carnarvon died of a severe skin infection. Eight others who were present that day passed away within a dozen years of the find. Coincidence, or victims of the dreaded curse of the pharaohs?

See also: The truth behind the Plagues of Egypt

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