Howard Carter

Howard Carter was a British archaeologist and Egyptologist who made one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of all time. Born in London to an artistic family, he first visited Egypt at age 17 as a skilled archaeological artist. Despite lacking formal education, Carter's artistic talents and determination led to his appointment as Inspector-General of Monuments in Upper Egypt. His most famous achievement was discovering the nearly intact tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62) in 1922, after years of systematic searching in the Valley of the Kings. The discovery took eight years to catalog and clear, revealing over 5,000 artifacts. This find revolutionized our understanding of ancient Egyptian culture and sparked worldwide interest in Egyptology. Carter spent the remainder of his life documenting and preserving the tomb's contents. He died in London in 1939 from lymphoma, having never married but leaving an unprecedented legacy in archaeological methodology and Egyptian studies.