Everything surrounding Tutankhamun is full of mystery and fascination. This has been the case since the discovery of his tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922, which was one of the great discoveries of world archaeology, as it was intact. Of all the objects found there (some 5,000 pieces), some stand out above the rest. This is the case of its famous funerary mask, an authentic icon of the Ancient Egypt. But it also happens with the dagger of Tutankhamunto which we dedicate the following lines.
Tutankhamun’s dagger why it is so famous
From the very moment that Howard Carter discovered the tomb of this pharaoh in 1922, there was something that did not fit with it: the dagger of Tutankhamun was a rarity never seen in the grave goods of other monarchs or high officials. And not only because of its spectacular gold handle, made with an astonishing technical mastery: what really worried the experts was its iron blade.
This iron had an appearance and finish that did not correspond to that obtained by smelting, at least not to that obtained by ancient civilizations through their metallurgical techniques. In addition, the ancient Egyptians did not have mines of this metal and, therefore, had not developed an industry comparable to that of other contemporary cultures.
And it had an explanation, confirmed by Italian and Egyptian researchers in 2016: the iron used in it was… extraterrestrial! It is not about anything related to conspiracy theories, but about an event repeated many times throughout history: the fall of a meteorite.
As observed by this group of researchers by means of X-rays, the iron used in the dagger of Tutankhamun’s dagger of Tutankhamun was extracted from a meteorite, as there are different examples in the African continent. In fact, its composition, with a high concentration of cobalt and nickel, is typical of the iron in meteorites.
In fact, the ancient Egyptians were not the only ones to take advantage of iron from meteorites to make their weapons. So did other civilizations such as the Vikings, the Incas and the Romans, in different places and historical periods.
Where can you see the dagger of Tutankhamun
Until recently, the main objects found in Tutankhamun’s tomb were exhibited at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. However, the construction of the Great Egyptian Museum of Egypt in
Giza has changed the situation: all the pieces (or most of them) will be moved to this new mega-museum, becoming one of its great attractions.
Therefore, everything indicates that the dagger of Tutankhamun will also be exhibited in the Great Egyptian Museum of Giza, although it has not yet been inaugurated and its permanent collection is still not 100% confirmed. In this blog we will keep an eye on it all to confirm or correct this point, as the opening of the museum will be one of the great events of the year for world tourism. And when that happens, if you want to enjoy a visit to its rooms accompanied by an official guide, contact Egipto Exclusivo. It will take you to know the dagger of Tutankhamun and many other pieces of great value.
