Conservation and Management of the Tomb of Tutankhamen

Typically, the walls and ceilings of Egyptian royal tombs are decorated with religious texts. By comparison, Tutankhamen's tomb is relatively simple with only the four walls of its burial chamber decorated. The wall paintings are marred by disfiguring brown spots, the nature and origin of which have never been fully ascertained, though they were noted by the excavation team in 1923.

The Egyptian authorities expressed concern that large numbers of visitors could be adversely contributing to the tomb's physical deterioration. The Conservation Institute collaborated with Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities to investigate these concerns and implement a plan for the conservation and management of the tomb and its wall paintings that will ensure its future preservation.

The project was divided into three phases. During the first phase, work encompassed background research and assessment, the preparation of an accurate record of the condition of the tomb and its wall paintings, the scientific analysis of materials and techniques of the paintings, study of environmental conditions, and diagnosis of the causes of their deterioration. The results of this research determine conservation needs.

The second and third phases occurred simultaneously over three years. The second phase focused on interventions for the tomb and its wall paintings and development of a long-term condition monitoring plan. The tomb infrastructure was also updated during this phase, and recommendations were made for limiting visitor numbers. Throughout the course of the project, SCA conservators, scientists and staff underwent training in conservation and site management.

In the third phase, results of the project were disseminated through print, visual, and web-based media, promoting good conservation and management practice in Egypt, enhancing SCA staff professional capabilities, and advancing the general public's understanding of conservation practices.

The project aimed to:

• establish an accurate record of the present condition of the tomb and its wall paintings as well as the causes of deterioration of the wall paintings
• study the environmental conditions of the tomb and its exterior macroclimate
• assess the physical and environmental impact of visitors on the preservation of KV 62 and establish safe visitation parameters
• assess the geological and hydrological risks to the tomb
• develop a conservation program for the tomb and its wall paintings and create a long-term condition monitoring strategy
• enhance the interpretation and presentation of the tomb and its contents
• provide training opportunities for SCA staff in all aspects of the project
• disseminate the results of the work

Conservation Institute: Neville Agnew, Sara Lardinois, Shin Maekawa, Jennifer Porter, Micaela Shea, Jeanne Marie Teutonico, Lori Wong, Chen Yang

Consultants: Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Romany Helmy, Robert Jensen (photographer), Stephen Rickerby (conservator), Hussein Shaboury (designer), Karim Shaboury (designer), Giovanni Verri (conservator and scientist)

Supreme Council of Antiquities: Ramadan Mohamed Salem Bedair (conservator), Badawy Sayed Abd El Rheem (conservator), Afaf Mohamed Mahmoud (conservator), Rasha Kamel Mahmoud (chemist), Gamal Amin Abeed (inspector), Ahmed Yassin Abu El Soaud (inspector), Ahmed Hassan Mohammed Yousef (inspector), Ramadan Gamal Ahmed Abd El-Rahman (inspector)

Additional project assistance provided by: Beril Bicer-Simsir, David Carson, Giacomo Chiari, Anna Duer, Valerie Greathouse, Herant Khanjian, Jeffrey Levin, Joy Mazurek, Gail Ostergren, Catherine Patterson, Alan Phenix, Amarilli Rava, Megan Salas, Michael Schilling, Karen Trentelman, Cameron Trowbridge, Marc Walton, Samuel Whittaker, Anna Zagorski