Yesterday marked the 89th anniversary of the date (November 26, 1922) on which archaeologists Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon entered the interior of King Tut’s tomb for the first time. That’s not the most exciting anniversary (100 or 75 have better rings to them than 89) but it does give me a chance to recommend a series of books that I have loved rereading lately. Have you read the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters (aka Barbara Mertz)? Howard Carter is a peripheral character in these mysteries set mostly in Egypt from the late Victorian period until the discovery of the Tutankhamun tomb. As of now there are 19 volumes in the series. Start with the first published, Crocodile on the Sandbank. The first 2/3 of the books in the series are in chronological order while the rest of them jump around in the timeline a bit. Amelia Peabody is an early feminist, Egyptologist, and solver of mysteries. The books are somewhat tongue in cheek but most enjoyable. Plus, the author knows her stuff. She holds a doctorate in Egyptology.
Interesting stuff, Egyptology. I’ve been fascinated for years. Seeing the Rosetta Stone live and in person was a very cool thing. And, let’s not forget that the above “magazine,” the Pyramid Post, features a thrilling article about mummies wherein I described their preparation: “The brain was removed by sticking a long thin object up the nose, breaking through the bone into the brain cavity and taking the brain out bit by bit.” Now aren’t you glad you know that?