History Short Reads

Mummies, hidden treasures, grave robbers and curses. Few combinations may be more compelling for lovers of ancient history and its secrets, and if there is a place in the world where all this comes true above all others, that place is Egypt. The discovery of the royal mummies' hiding place in Deir el Bahari represented one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time, as it allowed us for the first time in history to be face to face with some of the most important Egyptian pharaohs, which after suffering robberies, outrages and endless transfers from one hiding place to another, ended up piled inside the mountains of Thebes. I hope you enjoy it.

An almost unknown pharaoh, a hidden tomb beneath the sands of the desert, a treasure like no one had seen before. The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb supposed undoubtedly the most spectacular achievement of archeology of the twentieth century, and despite what many think was not a chance finding, but the result of years of hard work of a tireless man in search of a dream, an impossible; the eternal resting place of a dark king who had left just few traces of his passage through this world. His tomb, almost intact and full of undreamed riches, stimulated the imagination of the astonished viewers of the whole world, who soon trembled at the supposed curse that annihilated everyone who had anything to do with the tomb of the Pharaoh Child. Today we know that the only curse was the one that suffered the body of the poor king, humiliated and dismembered unceremoniously for wrest the fantastic jewelry we see today in the Cairo museum. In this work I provide an overview of everything that surrounded this fabulous discovery, focusing on the lesser known aspects and questions we have always done: who was really Tutankhamun?, did he die naturally or was killed?, why was his mummy dismembered?, Did Carter and Carnarvon steal objects from the grave? and, is Queen Nefertiti buried in the same tomb? These and many other questions are answered in the pages of this book that I'm sure will delight all fans of ancient Egypt and History in general. This book is included in my "History Short Readings" series, in which I present episodes or specific aspects of history with a special appeal to the general public. I intend to do this without neglecting the depth and quality at any time, and always in an entertaining tone which I hope will delight all history lovers. Although the covered topics could fill more voluminous works, I made an effort of synthesis, avoiding the more technical aspects, and always looking for concise narratives that would allow us to read them at a stretch. I hope you enjoy it.