The Discovery of King Tut    By: Paulanne Simmons

If you can’t afford a trip to Egypt to see the ancient tombs, the next best option may be to visit The Discovery of King Tut, an exhibition that reproduces exactly what Howard Carter and his crew discovered in 1922 when they opened the tomb of the boy king, the pharaoh known as King Tut.

The exhibit, as conceived by Paul Heinen and Wulf Kohl, begins with a video and then takes visitors deeper and deeper into the tomb, past the antechamber, annex and treasury into the burial chamber, all designed by Rainer Verbizh, under the watchful eye of Egyptian scholar Dr. Wolfgang Wettengel. 

The audio guide explain the significance of various artifacts, particularly the four nested shrines, the inner coffins, and the mummified body. Also given special attention are other artifacts such as Tut’s gold mask, the canopic chest, and King Tut’s chariot and throne.

King Tut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings is now empty except for the mummy, the outer coffin and the stone sarcophagus. Thus the original experience Carter had back in 1922 cannot be recaptured. Skeptics may scoff that this is not the real thing. The thousand of adults and children who walk through this exhibition probably won’t mind.

The Discovery of King Tut runs through May 1 at 417 5th Avenue at 38th St. Tickets are $29 for adults and $20 for children.

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