The Secret Chamber of King Tut

If walls could talk, what do you think they would say?

I’ve heard this question every time someone new walks in the door. But that’s not the correct question humans should be asking. It’s not a question whether we can talk, the real question is Are humans willing to listen? Will they take a few minutes of their busy day schedule to learn the secrets within? Will they even care? Or will they make the easy choice of judging me by my looks without seeing my potential? People these days, they just don’t get it. They want the best new thing with all the fancy gadgets attached.

Each time the realtor brings a new potential buyer inside my walls she starts her tour with that same stupid rhetorical question. And most of them all they could manage to say is “Wow, this house is old! Oh, that’s a big crack in the wall! She’s a fixer upper for sure! Thank you for your time, we’ll think about it and get back to you later with our decision.” Yeah, neither I nor the realtor saw those people again. If they only knew the things I know. If only they were willing to listen.

I’ve tried a couple of time to communicate with some of the visitors. The creaking sound produced when the door opens or the sounds of loose boards under their footsteps, yeah that was me. Last time I tried talking to them I accidentally revealed a crack in the living room wall. It ran from the middle of my face all the way to the floor. I felt quite embarrassed revealing my cleavage! But then again, sometimes you gotta show some to get some.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get the attention I was hoping for. Instead, I got funny looks from the buyers and the realtor. They quickly jumped to the conclusion that something was wrong with my foundation. "This is no place to raise a family! This building is a hazard!" Those were the exact words said by the lady who was with her husband in the market for their first house. If they only knew, that so called crack was actually the edge of a hidden doorway. No need to tell them where it leads to anymore.

Eventually less people were interested on a tour. It was only a matter of time when even the realtor didn’t care to stop by. Lonely with my empty rooms I reminisce the good old days. The days when the professor lived here. Those were the days filled with excitement and adventure.

His name was Howard Carter. I would be surprised if you didn’t recognize the name of the most famous Egyptologist in Britain’s history! I won’t deny, he was an awkward fellow and most of times an arrogant, hot tempered cocksure! But he was also a genius! An absolute genius! His passion for the ancient world, his fascination towards Egypt’s 18th dynasty and his discovery in the Valley of the kings was admired by all.

I would enjoy listening to the conversations he would have with his associate George Herbert also known as the Earl of Carnarvon. They would talk about their expeditions in Egypt, visiting the old kingdom, the great pyramids and the flowing serpent crossing the desert towards the Mediterranean Sea. Their tales of the Sahara Desert would always transport me away from the grassy hilltops of Luxor.

I didn’t always belong to the professor. He had acquired me after his discovery of Pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb. His payments toward my previous owner was done with cash in hand and utmost strict confidentiality. I was kept secret from anyone except from the Earl of Carnarvon, so it doesn’t surprise me that not many people knew I was one of the houses he would retire to from time to time. The first thing he did when he got me was to add a hidden door in my living room wall. It led to an underground storage. In it he stored hundreds of wooden boxes of various sizes. He would never mention aloud the contents and he was very protective of them.

I remember one day George in one of his many visits showed Howard a piece of newspaper and asked him if the rumors were true. The professor read the paper before answering.

“The suggestions of such ideas are utterly preposterous!” was the professor's reply as he folder the piece of paper and placed it inside his coat pocket.

“The Egyptian authorities are very serious about these claims. I just need to hear it from you that they are false. For if they were to be true, you will be dragging my reputation on the line.”

“Has my style of living told you otherwise? Do I look like I have riches from our discovered treasures?” the professor asked.

“No, it doesn’t seem so. But I do believe you have secrets that you do not wish to share even with me. Why else would you have acquired this house in secrecy?”

“I acquired this house in secrecy from the prying eyes of the media that follow my every move and constantly stand guard outside my flat in London!”

“It’s been twelve years since the discovery! Why in God’s name would you still have reports stalking you outside your flat in London?” asked George in awe.

“My dear friend! That is exactly what I ask myself after reading the article you just brought me! Why after twelve years of our discovery does the media accuse me now of stealing precious artifacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb? Or better yet, who has made such accusations to the media?”

“Gardner made the accusation. He claims you gifted him an archaeological amulet from Tutankhamun’s tomb.” said George

“Gardner?! He is the pure definition of a mediocre scientist!”said the professor as he grabbed his wooden pipe from his coat pocket lit up a match and sat in his rocking chair. “So, this is what’s it has come down to, Gardner looking for fame by feeding the media false accusations.”

George sat next to him, took a cigarette out and joined the professor in a smoke.

“It seems so my friend. All that matters to me is the truth, and if you are being honest and truthful about not stealing from the tomb, well that’s good enough for me. I apologize for believing the papers.”

“No need for an apology, I would have done exactly the same. Just knowing that our names lasting for eternity as the discoverers of king Tutankhamun’s tomb is by far a greater reward than illegally conserving any artifact from the tomb.”

That was the last they ever talked about the matter. The charges made by Gardner and the Egyptian authorities were dropped due to the lack of evidence. The amulet in Gardners possession had mysteriously vanish leaving his claims in question. The professor sealed up the door to the storage room and never reopened it again.

Seven years later the professor became sick and was unable to visit me in Luxor. I heard people down the street saying he died after many years of being bed-ridden in his London Flat. He died at the age of 64, he never married, he never had any kids. His only friend that would often visit him was George. I heard rumors that only 9 people showed up to his funeral. After his contributions to the archeological society only 9 people showed up! How disgraceful! He was soon forgotten and so was I with my secret chamber.

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The Guardian Newspaper

August 2010

Breaking News: Howard Carter's Rumors of Stealing Treasures from Tutankhamun’s Tomb in Egypt Were Not Rumors After All!

Howards Carter together with George Edwards are known as the famous British explorers to have discovered the 18th dynasty pharaoh Tutankhamun tomb. But 88-year-old rumors have told us that Carter might have stolen some of the archeological artifacts before the tomb was officially reported as discovered to the Egyptians authorities.

The rumors of Carter’s theft began in 1934 by Sir Alan Gardner after he had claimed that Carter had gifted him an amulet from king Tut’s tomb. The Egyptian authorities had press charges to Carter based on the rumors of the time, but charges were soon dropped due to the lack of evidence. Their only proof to such claims was the amulet given to Gardner by Carter, but the amulet had mysteriously vanished leaving Gardiner’s claims in question.

Eighty-eight years later a small country house in the hills of Luxor was tore down for housing development revealing a secret room underneath the foundation of the house. Wooden boxes were found inside containing artifacts related to the 18th dynasty pharaoh Tutankhamun. The previous owner of the house was unknown for decades until within one of the wooden boxes a letter was found addressed to Carter by Gardner with the missing amulet.

The letter said:

“I deeply regret having been placed in so awkward a position. I naturally did not tell Engelbach that I obtained the amulet from you. But he insisted that the amulet had been stolen. I was not able to use the amulet to translate the hieroglyphs on the tomb. As to your request I return the amulet back to you in good faith…”

The recovered collection consisted of small figurines, jewelry, including a statute of a bronze dog, a Sphinx-shaped bracelet decoration, necklaces and other valuable artifacts.

“These items should have never left Egypt. We are glad the items have been recovered, but it took us 88 years to prove they were stolen in the first place! It is a shame Carter is no longer here to answer for his crimes, but what's important is that the items are returning home” said the Egyptian Antiquities Chief.

Egyptian authorities are thrilled with the recovered treasures. Upon their return to Egypt the missing artifacts will join the rest of the Tuts collection at the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.