In the tomb of Tutankhamen : a new conservation effort

Since the discovery of the treasure-filled tomb of Tutankhamen by archaeologist Howard Carter in November 1922, the world has been captivated by Tut. Recently the condition of the tomb and its wall paintings has been the subject of much concern. There are fears that the high number of visitors could be contributing to the tomb's physical deterioration, and worry remains regarding the disfiguring dark brown spots that mar the paintings, which were already present at the time of discovery and noted by Carter and his team. The nature and origin of these mysterious spots have never been fully ascertained, and it is not clear whether they pose a threat to the wall paintings. In 2008 the Getty Conservation Institute entered into a five-year partnership with Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) to collaborate on a project for the conservation and management of the tomb. The objectives of the project are to establish a methodological approach to conserving the tomb through investigation of the causes of deterioration, and then to design and implement a conservation program. [Abridged Publication Abstract]