Carter also mentions alabaster jars, baskets of fruits, boxes, small inlaid boxes, bead-work, faience, gold (Carter number 394?) and silver vessels (Carter numbers 469 and /or 620(37)?), amulets, playing pieces, sandals and toys without further specification.
The whole text is fully struck through on this page but is not indicated in the transcription. On this page, strikethrough formatting is reserved for the author’s edits and deletions within the main body of the text, which would otherwise be difficult to distinguish.
Draft, Carter, Howard 1933. The tomb of Tut.ankh.Amen vol. 3. London: Cassell, 101-103.

Download low resolution image Enquire about high resolution image

University of Oxford

Transcription

(1)

I will now venture to make ~~a more detailed~~/<some kind of> survey of the ~~contents~~/<chaos>

~~and state of the~~/<find is this> Annexe, <I shall> follow~~ing~~ as near as is possible the system we

had to adopt in clearing the three hundred <odd> objects it contained.

Firstly, ~~we had to free~~ sufficient floor space ~~for our feet~~/<had to be freed> the best we

could <for our feet>. This ~~had to be done heads downwards~~/was commenced ~~by working with the~~> from the side of the doorway

which was rather more than a metre above the floor level. Every

precaution had to be taken, as any hasty removal of an an object

might caused^sic an avalanche of ~~delicate~~/<various> articles <that were> heaped high up

far beyond our reach. <Having accomplished this> We then s/<c>limbed down and <began to> removed^sic the most

precarious pieces that were within the range of our grasp./<,> B/<b>ut first

numbering and photographing ~~them~~/<everything> before they were touched. Often to <~~enable us to~~>

~~record~~/<remove> an object which the slightest disturbance might cause it to

fall, we were obliged to lean over ~~with the~~ support<ed> of/<by> a rope sling,

under our arm-pits, held by the men in the Antechamber. ~~It was~~

i/<I>n this manner <by> gradually removing all the accessable^sic {accessible} ~~antiquities~~/<objects>,

~~that~~ we eventually gained ingriss^sic {ingress} into the Chamber.

~~Occupying~~ the floor-space immediately below the sill ~~of the doorway~~/<was occupied>

~~were~~/<by> Missles like <in> bomerangs {boomerangs}, alabaster jars, baskets of fruits, <mingled with> stones

from the masonry of that blocked the doorway, ~~mingled over on the others,~~

on top of which was a black kiosk full of stone Shawabti-figures.

~~Covering~~/<~~Strewn~~>/<Covering> the <whole of> the floor of the Chamber was a mass of baskets of all shapes,

and heavy alabaster vases, heaped one upon the other with

sundry boxes on top. <Between and> Beneath them ~~on the floor~~ ~~were~~/<was/<re>> ~~numerous~~/<~~num~~>/<a number>

small objects crushed and broken: small inlaid boxes, bead-work,

tiny faience, gold and silver vessels, amulets, model tools, stone

palettes, ivory gaming boards, playing pieces, sandals, toys; all

all constituting indisputable ~~evidence~~/<testimony> of devilism on the part of ~~those~~

persons responsible for such a state of things. ~~When~~

Whence came all these miniature objects~~-of-virtue~~ is

a problem we have yet to solve.

In an ornamental <box shaped> cabinet ~~shape box~~, lodged ~~when it was~~

~~cast~~ on top of this miscellanea, were four magnificent head-rests

of the most fragile nature: one of turquoise blue-glass; the

second one of brilliant blue faience; a third most beautifully