Sidestep: 100 Years

Today, 4th November is one of Archeology's most important dates thus far.

Exactly 100 years ago, Howard Carter discovered the entrance to King Tutankhamun's tomb. Well, in reality, it was a boy who found it for him. But the rest is now history.

This tomb was extremely rushed in its construction, the walls were not smoothed over, and the rough plaster was not even dry on the walls when they began painting the chamber the king was laid to rest in. Mould now shows on the paint as a result. No one knows why it was so rushed, nor where his mother's tomb is. Some say beyond the known chambers, some say not.

Now if Tut's tomb was rushed and yet he had those treasures with him, imagine the treasures of the other kings, especially what may have been in tomb KV5!

Everything about King Tut's tomb says' rush, rush, rush. Poor quality paintings, tomb goods stacked up like they were thrown by in by Crown Removalists in a rush to get home for tea. Then there is the altered gold face mask, plus items that belonged to other people - maybe his mother or his wife Ankhesenamun, and the many feminine features on one coffin and the coptic alabaster jars raise many questions. There is still more that is not known about King Tut and his death than is known about him. But that is last centuries news. While more will be learned and maybe even a new tomb discovered, will King Tut's tomb the greatest ever discovery. Oh yes, you've heard us mention this before. King Tut was already known about, it's just that up until 4th November 1922, no one had found his burial place.

So what if something amazing was found that no one even knew existed? (I'm talking generally here).

Today it is also just over 7 years ago since we found the first location to dig, and 6 years and eight months from when we began this journey physically. We gave up in the first location at the end 2019 when one of us was nearly killed inside. Along the way we discovered moa bones and a verified human femur shaft... except this shaft came from a human being 7'11" (if a female) and 8'2" (if a male)... and it came, not from an original burial in the old tube we were excavating, but from wherever they got the dirt from to fill that tube! ie - in the hills somewhere nearby? The search goes on in a different direction, for there are other locations and since 2019 we have not been unrewarded with finds, plus some unusual things that will remain private. If we are successful in showing the world what they do not expect, then maybe our once ridiculed statement will finally ring true, for it would undoubtedly be 'the greatest discovery since Tutankhamun' - although hopefully not taking the eight years it took Carter from beginning to the first announcement.

If...