King Tut: Atlanta

While visiting Atlanta over the Valentine's Day weekend, I visited National Geographic's exhibit TUTANKHAMUN AND THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE PHARAOHS. I hadn't read or heard much about the exhibit, but I thought the title was self explanatory, and I was excited. After paying the somewhat steep price, we entered a line for the exhibit. As we approached the entrance, we were ushered into a room, and shown a video about the discovery of Tut's tomb. Then, the great "stone" doors before us swung open, and we entered the exhibit. The first part of the exhibit consists of busts of other Pharaohs, and information about their reign and rule. Among my favorites was the long faced Bust of Akhenaten.

We moved from here into a room displaying jewelry of the empire. Fantastically detailed intricate metalwork, sometimes offset by stone settings. This was probably my favorite part of the exhibit. I love to examine the small details and see how the largest of pieces are so delicately put together.

Beyond we finally came to the Tut portion of the exhibit. Here are 50 artifacts recovered from Tut's long hidden tomb. They range from the impressive gold foil sandals and finger and toe caps that adorned the mummy himself, to the more basic items such as the wooden bed, looking like a low twin frame, that Tut may have slept on in life. But my favorite item was the Tutankhamun Canopic Coffinette. This item features on many of the posters advertising the exhibit, and can easily be mistaken for a full size sarcophagus, but it is in fact only about a foot or two tall. As with the jewelry, I was amazed by the fine details and workmanship, but even more so. Out of respect for other visitors, and likely security protocol, I did not press my face to the glass and stare at it for an hour, but I would have liked to.

As we left the exhibit of artifacts, there was an explanation of the various entombments that had surrounded the body. I rounded the next corner hoping that some of these sarcophagi were here. But I was admittedly disappointed to find only a multimedia display discussing a body scan that was done of the King's mummy. Although the web site's FAQ is quit clear, I could not help but feel a little misled.

Overall the exhibit is impressive, and it's well worth the slightly inflated price. Take your time and read the information on the walls, look hard at the jewelry, and just be amazed that these items are thousands of years old, and still quite impressive by today's standards.