Howard Carter Letters sell for thousands

Letters written by Howard Carter, the British archaeologist and Egyptologist who discovered the sealed tomb of Tutankhamen, have sold for £5,700 at Shropshire auctioneers Trevanion and Dean.

Consigned by a vendor from the Welsh borders to the auction house’s specialist historical documents and book sale, the letters, written in the 1930s, provide a fascinating insight into Carter’s later career and reflections on colleagues he worked alongside.

Auctioneers Aaron Dean commented, “He writes that he ‘wishes to be in Egypt’, and offers a fascinating insight into the legendary Curse of Tutankhamen, where he describes the man who invented the ‘Curse’ as a ‘Cunning man, whose inventions had no basis, and thus are a menace to archaeology’. Strong words indeed! It was an honour to handle such historically important documents, and I am delighted they sold so well for the vendor.”

The letters instigated a ferocious International bidding battle, before finally selling to UK buyers for a total of £5,700.

About Howard Carter

Howard Carter discovered the sealed tomb of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen or ‘King Tut’ as he came to be known, in 1922. Carter’s discovery made him a worldwide sensation and ignited interest in Egyptian archaeology.

Tutankhamen’s Tomb

Carter arrived in Egypt in 1891 and began excavating in the Valley of the Kings.  At the time most experts believed all the royal tombs  had already been found and artefacts of any significance had been removed.  But Carter methodically mapped the area and was determined to continue, despite intense scrutiny, criticism and constant funding issues, he persevered against the odds and discovered Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922, the very last of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings to be found.

Historical discovery

It was a find that would change the way we view ancient history, but even Carter could not have known quite how important his find would be.  Even when he discovered the tomb, the initial rooms were barren, following years of raids and robbing.  But the interior of the tomb remained intact and the door to the inner tomb sealed, as it had been for more than 3,000 years ‘Oh what I would give to have been the person to follow Carter into that tomb for the very first time, it must have been an amazing experience!’ said Aaron.

Treasures of the Tomb

Over the years, Carter meticulously described, photographed and sketched over 5,000 artefacts crammed from floor to ceiling in the interior rooms of the tomb, which included statues, jewellery, furniture, clothing, weapons, and even chariots.  Tutankhamen was only a child when he ascended the throne in 1333 BC, and ruled for only a decade, he was not one of the most influential of Egyptian rulers, however the treasures found in his tomb provided more evidence of the culture and history of ancient Egypt, than had every been previously discovered and paved the way to a much greater understanding of such an important ancient civilisation.

Other notable results for the Books and Historical documents auction, include a copy of Moore’s Lepidoptera of Ceylon, selling to the UK at £2,400 and a hand written letter from Robert Louis Stevenson, the Scottish novelist and poet, which sold for £1,500.