The story of how Swaffham archaeologist Howard Carter discovered Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb
An ancient Egyptian pharaoh may have ruled more than 3,300 years ago - but his legacy still resonates through a Norfolk town today.
The influence of Tutankhamun, who ruled from around 1332-1323BC, can be seen in Swaffham through the likes of a bar's name and a museum exhibition.
The great pharaoh has links to the Breckland area because of famous archaeologist Howard Carter, who discovered the tomb in 1922 and still has relatives living in the town.
Carter was raised in Swaffham, before going on to find the best-preserved pharaonic tomb ever found in the Valley of the Kings.
Also known as King Tut, Tutankhamun ascended the throne as a child during the 18th dynasty. His reign was relatively short, but significant for restoring traditional Egyptian religion.
The discovery of his nearly intact tomb unveiled a wealth of artifacts and provided various insights into the era.
Swaffham marks this significant link with exhibitions at the museum and even a bar named after him – Tutankhamun's Emporium.
We have done some digging and taken a look at some of these connections to discover more about the links between Norfolk and Egypt.
THE DISCOVERER
Although Howard Carter was born in London in 1874, he was raised and spent much of his childhood in Swaffham.
His family – both on his mother’s and father’s side – came from Swaffham and the nearby villages. His grandfather, Samuel, was a gamekeeper on the Hamond estate and lived in the gamekeeper’s cottage on the edge of town.
Carter’s father, Samuel John, his three brothers, and two sisters were born in Swaffham - and from the 1860s owned a family house on the lane towards Sporle.
His mother, Martha Joyce Sands, was also born in the town, and her family goes back to the 18th century in the town. They were carpenters and builders on Lynn Street.
His father had previously relocated to London, but after three of the children had died young, Carter, who was a sickly child, was moved to Norfolk and raised for the most part by a nurse in Swaffham.
After being sent to the family home as a small baby, he spent much of his young life exploring the lanes. At the age of 15, he chose to become an artist.
He worked with his father – an animal portrait and wildlife painter – at Didlington Hall, where there was a large ancient Egyptian museum. It was here that he first felt a longing for Egypt.
At the age of 17, he was innovative in improving the methods of copying tomb decoration.
Two years later, he was invited to join a team of archaeologists in Egypt as a tomb painting copyist and soon developed a love for archaeology.
Carter would return to his childhood haunt in the summer months when Egypt was too hot for digging, and the Sporle Road house was left to him after his mother’s death in 1920.
‘NOT JUST IMPORTANT AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION’
The town's museum plays a vital role in informing people about the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb today.
The premises have a permanent display which honours Carter, his family, and his discovery of the tomb of the pharaoh. Interpretation boards plot his life in Egypt.
The Carter Centenary Gallery at the museum tells the story of his link with Swaffham and how his life here led him to finding the tomb.
Visitors to the gallery are able to hear Carter’s reading from his diary, as well as see Egyptian artefacts in a cabinet from the time of Tutankhamun on loan from the British Museum, and a glimpse of what it was like for him when he pushed a candle through the door of the tomb and saw “wonderful things”.
At the museum, there are also pyramids to build and costumes to dress up in.
Sue Gattuso, archivist at Swaffham Museum, said: “The Howard Carter story is not just important as a tourist attraction for Swaffham, but it also has a special message for us all.
“Here was a man with no wealth, little education, and poor health, but with a family talent for drawing and a tenacity that drove him forward despite many setbacks.
“Out of that background came the most famous archaeologist of them all.”
RELATIVES STILL IN THE TOWN
Tutankhamun's Emporium in the heart of Swaffham is a unique place with family connections to Carter. As well as being a food and drink spot, it also features an art gallery full of Egyptian pieces to browse and purchase.
The owner, Susan Allen, is the great niece of Carter and the custodian of his grave. She says his parents are buried in the grounds of St Peter and St Paul Church, and Howard lived in the keepers' cottage by the duck pond before going out to Egypt.
In November of 2019, Susan purchased two Tutankhamun thrones from Cairo – the capital of Egypt – which have become a prominent part of the museum along with many statues, an 8ft Anubis, and much more.
In 2023, Swaffham acknowledged the life and work of Carter by unveiling a pyramid mosaic outside the town hall, designed by artist Carolyn Ash.
DISCOVERY OF THE TOMB
Carter started searching for the tomb in 1917, digging in the sand all the way down to bedrock in various sections.
Years went by without any discovery, but he did not want to give up. Eventually, three days after starting his latest search, his team uncovered what looked like a step buried in the sand.
As they removed the sand and debris, they found more steps leading down. Finally, they discovered a plaster doorway stamped with a name: Tutankhamun.
The location had been lost because it was buried by debris from subsequent tombs, and workers' houses were built over the tomb entrance in Ancient Egyptian times.
On Carter’s approach, he was not sure if he would find anything, as most of the tombs in the valley had been robbed in ancient times, leaving a few items behind.
However, when he squinted inside the small hole, he found a tomb almost entirely intact.
Although it had been raided in ancient times, it retained much of its original contents - including the king's undisturbed mummy.
Carter spent nearly ten years removing more than 5,000 objects from the tomb.
The tomb is still the most intact royal Egyptian tomb ever found, giving historians important information about the culture.
Although the pharaohs who came after Tutankhamun wanted him to be forgotten, today he is one of the most famous ancient rulers of all time.
The discovery received worldwide press coverage and resulted in renewed public interest in ancient Egypt. Tutankhamun's mask, preserved at the Egyptian Museum, remains a popular symbol.
The deaths of some people in Carter’s team who were involved in the excavation have been put down to the ‘curse of the pharaohs’ due to their striking similarities.
His assessing and cataloguing of the thousands of objects in the tomb took nearly ten years to complete.
Despite this and the significance of his archaeological find, Carter received no honour from the British government. He did receive the Order of the Nile, third class, from King Fuad I of Egypt.
Carter died from Hodgkin's disease aged 64 at his London flat in 1939.
His gravestone features a quotation taken from the Wishing Cup of Tutankhamun: "May your spirit live, may you spend millions of years, you who love Thebes, sitting with your face to the north wind, your eyes beholding happiness”.