Ancient Egyptian artefacts continue to captivate school children and history buffs alike.   This week archaeologists in Egypt celebrated the discovery of a brilliantly coloured mummy at Saqqara, just south of Cairo.   This find may be exciting, but it cannot supplant the discovery in 1922 of the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings at Luxor as the archaeological sensation of the age.

Photographs of the tomb were published for the first time in The Times on February 21, 1923.   The newspaper held exclusive worldwide rights to Harry Burton's photographs documenting the excavations of Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon.   After their publication, newspapers worldwide were clamouring for copies.

The power and impact of these images still remain, more than 80 years later.   On Thursday, a complete set of the 142 photographs is being auctioned at the natural history, travel, atlases and maps sale at Sotheby's in London.

The photographs, which narrowly escaped being thrown out as rubbish by their owner, have an estimate of £4,000 to £6,000, but could fetch much more.

Another tempting lot for people with an interest in Tutankhamun is Carter's three-volume account of the tomb's discovery.   This first- edition set, which was signed by Carter, is expected to sell for between £ 800 and £1,200...

[More]   The Times, UK, May 07, 2005.

BURTON, HARRY, PHOTOGRAPHER, 142 press photographs of the opening of the Tomb of Tutankhamun. 1922-1923.

CARTER, HOWARD AND A.C. MACE, The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen discovered by the late Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter. London: Cassell and Company, 1923-1933.

A quick flick through the catalogue turns up other items by Wilkinson, Bellzoni, Champollion, and several other Egyptology related items.

A round-up of recent antiquities, discoveries, and tourism news articles from Egypt by TravelVideo.TV.

Includes:

• Saqqara gets new museum
• Sobek temple to reopen
• Stolen Pharaonic plaque back home soon from Belgium
• Ancient necropolis found in Egypt
• Cultural celebration in opening Italian Consulate in Luxor
• Egyptian-Irish tourist cooperation
• Renovation of Safir Hotels in Cairo
• Le Méridien to add fifth hotel in Egypt
• Le Méridien Pyramids Hotel
• Cairo Sheraton Hotel
• Hilton Hotels
• Basma Island excursion
• MITT Moscow 2005
• Hotelplan Holland Winter 05/06 Contracting
• Mr. Hans Kohler in Egypt

[More]   TravelVideo.TV, Canada, May 10, 2005.

Egyptian scientists have finally lifted the veil of mystery surrounding famed pharaoh Tutankhamun's death, saying he died of a swift attack of gangrene after breaking his leg.

"After consultations with Italian and Swiss experts, Egyptian scientists ... have found that a fracture in the boy king's left leg a day before his death was infected with gangrene and led to his passing," Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities said...

[More]   Middle East Online, UK, May 10, 2005.

This article is sort of a biography of Jacques de Morgan with a leaning towards his work in Iran.   De Morgan's work in Egypt gets a mention.

...he was invited to take over as acting director of the Egyptian antiquities service; he remained in this interim appointment until 1897.   De Morgan's talents as an administrator and diplomat ensured his favorable reception by foreign, especially English, Egyptologists.   He took up his post in 1892...

[More]   Iranian Cultural Heritage News Agency, Iran, 04/05/2005.

Also posted here Jacques de Morgan; An Archaeologist Who Found Oil, Armenian News Network / Groong, University of Southern California, USA, 05 May 2005.

Saturday's attacks have catalysed concerns over tourism's future, reports Mohamed El-Sayed.

Will last week's terror attacks near two of Egypt's most popular tourist attractions, the Egyptian Museum and the Citadel, have an effect on the nation's most vital industry?   The attacks, which left four tourists injured, took place just as Egypt was celebrating its best year of tourism ever, with a record of eight million visitors in 2004.   Solidly ahead of oil, Suez Canal revenues, and remittances, tourism is Egypt's main hard currency earner at $6.5 billion per year...

[More]   Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 741, 5 - 11 May 2005.

British travellers are being caught between Foreign Office (FO) timidity and tour operators' inflexibility once again, this time over the issue of terrorism in Egypt.

The FO has strengthened its warnings for visitors to Egypt following last weekend's terrorist attacks in Cairo, declaring that "there is a continuing threat from terrorism across Egypt ... a further attack in Cairo cannot be ruled out".   But it has stopped short of telling travellers to avoid the country...

[More]   The Times, UK, May 08, 2005.

cf. Foreign & Commonwealth Office