Item TAA i.2.1 - Journal: 1922-1925 (1st to 3rd seasons)

Extract from Howard Carter's excavation journal, part of the entry for 26 November 1922: "There was naturally short suspense for those you could not see. When Lord Carnarvon said to me 'Can you see anything', I replied to him Yes it is wonderful."

Identity area

Reference code

TAA i.2.1

Title

Journal: 1922-1925 (1st to 3rd seasons)

Date(s)

  • 28 October 1922 - 31 March 1925 (Creation)

Level of description

Item

Extent and medium

1 loose-leaf ring-binder

Context area

Name of creator

(1874-1939)

Biographical history

British Egyptologist. Born, London 1874. Died, London 1939. Privately educated. Employed by P. E. Newberry in 1891 working for the Archaeological Survey. Assisted in excavations for the Egypt Exploration Fund 1892-3, was with Petrie at Amarna in 1892, and as a draughtsman to the Deir el-Bahri expedition 1893-9. Appointed Chief Inspector of Antiquities of Upper Egypt 1899-1904. Discovered several royal tombs, including those of Hatshepsut, Tuthmosis IV and Amenophis I. Inspector of Lower Egypt 1905. Employed by Lord Carnarvon from 1909 onwards, to excavate in the Theban necropolis, the Delta and Middle Egypt. His most famous discovery, that of the intact tomb of Tutankhamun, was made in 1922. He spent the next ten years recording the tomb's contents. Most of Carter's records for Tutankhamun's tomb remain unpublished.

Name of creator

(1874-1928)

Biographical history

British Egyptologist. Born, Glenorchy, Hobart, Tasmania 1874. Died, Haywards Heath, Sussex 1928. Educated, St Edward's School, Oxford, then Keble College, Oxford. BA, 1895. Worked with W. M. F. Petrie at Dendera, Hû, and Abydos, between 1897-1901. Assisted G. A. Reisner on the California University excavations at Gîza, 1901-6. From 1906 onwards, he spent of the rest of his career working for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, culminating in the position of Associate Curator in 1922. He founded and directed the first Metropolitan Museum expedition to Egypt. Between 1922-4 he was engaged as an assistant to H. Carter during the early stages of excavating of the tomb of Tutankhamun. He was forced to resign this position due to poor health. He published several books and articles and collaborated with Carter on the first volume of the publication The Tomb of Tut.Ankh.Amen (1923).

Archival history

Formerly in the possession of Howard Carter's niece Miss Phyllis Walker.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Presented by Miss Phyllis Walker in 1945.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Tutankhamun excavation journal 1922-1925, and miscellaneous notes

  • 148 numbered pages
  • Manuscript entries, with some drawings and pages with affixed newspaper cuttings

Howard Carter's excavation journal for the tomb of Tutankhamun, 1922-1925, covering the first-third seasons

  • Most entries are by Carter
  • Entries between December 5th and 27th, 1922 (pages 43 to 47) are by Arthur Mace

Also, Carter's miscellaneous notes on Tutankhamun and other subjects:

  • Notes on Synopsis
  • The Legend of Osiris
  • Nomenclature of certain Districts of the Theban Necropolis
  • Records of Royal Tomb Robberies
  • The First Theban Kingdom
  • Protocol of Tut-Ankh-Amen

Newspaper cuttings

  • The Times
    • 31 May 1923
    • 23 July 1923
    • 24 July 1923
    • 5 January 1924
    • 7 January 1924
    • 12 February 1924
    • 14 February 1924

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

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Conditions governing access

Property of the Griffith Institute. No restrictions.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright Griffith Institute, University of Oxford.

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Physical characteristics and technical requirements

  • 33 by 21.5 by 1 cm
  • Black leather-bound ring-binder
  • Ring-binder has a metal slide-fastening mechanism
  • Binding stamped on the inside front cover: "Walker's Loose-Leaf Book, Cover Number 138"
  • Grid-lined pages

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Archived scans in Griffith Institute.

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Note

  • Formerly catalogued as, and forming part of, Tutankhamun MSS 1
  • Also formerly referred to as:
    • Carter notebook 1
    • Tutankhamun notebook 1

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