TOMB OF TUTANKHAMEN

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 16, 19 January 1924, Page 16

TOMB OF TUTANKHAMEN

MYSTERY OF THE SHRINES.

The small dimensions of the doorways and£pas^ges,.,o|, jJie: sepulchral .chamber. of tjie tohitf'of Tut-ankhamen, compared witffitne size< of the shrines which are believed to enclose the sarcophagus, haveg of ten Jbeen referred to, states the ppeci^l correspondent of "The Times." Thejjact, that, the shrines almost completely Jfill.'the sepulchral chamber has giveiv rise to inucfi speculation as to the in which the sarcophagus ■was placed; within them, and", the pro-! blem»of how to remove these nested j shriSes with' the least damage and least delafc has been the ' cause of constant preosipnpation to Jfr. Howard -.Carter and^his staff, ever since the sepulchral] cham&er/waiT first entered in February last%C-'. *"- :-./.." ::/v": ■.../ , . B^centiy a* carefid examination was madei'of'the outef shrine, the sepulchral c&unber itself,..:and,,the partition.-wall, GOBfiCifftirig- of two doorjambs and alintd, which forms the north end of the,.'.ante-chamber, ywitK "the object; -ofasaßrtaining whethei^this partition wall; waij constructed before or' after the'sinjnes were introduced into, the^sepulcliral chamber.' , The conclusions awry-' edsat .were.'the following:— i '/■ •'•■ ;.. ■; U; The. walls of the sepulchral chamber" weald—appear to have been painted £i"l!&*HSS!S?i&."Jiefore the.::shrines'iVwe're erected, and from the fact that the partition^/waU was painted -at the same time lt^ould'fbllpw that this wa s constructecl before .the ■ shrines were erected. *:;,' '" '.'• '• ;'••■ .■■: ' ".■;.■;.. 2. The sections of -. the outermost slrrine3 must have Been introduced into the sepulchral chamber before the,erection of1 the series ;of inner shrines. - 3: The larger^objects' found in the store-chamber leading off from the sepulchral chamber must similarly have been introduced before the shrines were erected. ." : •;.,-,. It will therefore be necessary to work on : exactly-inverse lines to those adopted by.wthe-ijnen. who,erected the shrines 3270. years ,ago. Following this plan, all *nf.,. sMnes /"ill have to- be1 (lismantled before ; any of their sections <san be taken put; and the sections of the innermost shrines will have to be brought "out first- m order to provide the necessary space for the turning of-^he larger sections of the outer shrines. For the dismantling'of the outer shrines an elaj at m^scaffoldins wi!l h?ve'to be> erecteoV •Thjs,-:together with'the removal, of the partition wall, which must also be executed to facilitate the taking out of the shrme^sejtrons, J which are now in a f? rj£s£*e ■ conditioii than' when theyjvere ; o;nginany .put in, will neces-■ ea™T ..P'Stetthe w6rk,:but it will be earned ont as speedily a;s possible. .