Tutankhamun's Tomb: New Study Reveals Ritual Significance of Overlooked Artifacts

A recent study published in the Journal of Egyptian Archeology sheds new light on the function of ordinary objects found in Tutankhamun's tomb. Yale Egyptologist Dr. Nicholas Brown argues that clay vessels and wooden staffs, initially dismissed as mere supports, were integral to an "Osirian funerary rite." Discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, the tomb contained over five thousand items. Brown's research suggests the clay vessels were used for libations, with Nile water poured to aid the deceased's revival. The wooden staffs, placed near the pharaoh's head, potentially played a role in ritually awakening Tutankhamun. Jacobus van Dijk, an Egyptologist from the University of Groningen, agrees on the ritual purpose of the trays but suggests the staffs may relate to a different ritual involving torches. The Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo is set to display Tutankhamun's treasures, uniting artifacts for the first time, some previously unseen.