King Tut visits Los Angeles for the third time. The first time was in 1978, and the second time was in 2005. This time, his exhibit offers Los Angelenos a peek at some of the most beautiful objects with 66 artifacts never seen before now. The exhibit brings “blurry history of the Boy King into sharp focus,” said Jeff Norman Managing Director CEO, California Science Center. “It begins with the discovery from a waterboy, said Dr. Zahi Hawass, Esteemed Egyptian Archaeologist.

Celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, the California Science Center is the first of the 10-city tour to host KING TUT: TREASURES OF THE GOLDEN PHARAOH. It’s the largest King Tut exhibition ever toured. “You learn about how Howard Carter, lacking the skills of an archaeologist, is appointed Inspector General of Monuments of Upper Egypt. On November 5, 1922 he made a wonderful discovery in the Valley of the Kings – a magnificent tomb of King Tutankhamun,” Hawass said.

Here are 10 things to look for in the exhibit:

1.The dramatic new presentation, begins 34,000 years ago in 1336 B.C. during the height of Egypt’s glory. Ticket holders watch a short film about the history of this exhibit and King Tut, before seeing the first of over 150 authentic artifacts in various rooms. There is a dazzling multimedia experience guiding guests on an immersive journey of the pharaoh’s quest for immortality.

2. Discover a culture immersed in magic in the Preparation area of the exhibit and learn that priests prepared Tutankhamun for his passage through the tomb with everything he would need on the journey, and later in the afterlife. Egyptians believed that the afterlife was just like Egypt, only even more perfect. To get there, the deceased first had to pass through 12 gates of the Netherworld, a place filled with danger and evil forces. This could only be controlled by magic. Magic was essential to Egyptian life as air, water and food.

3. Inside this painted calcite box researchers found two bundles of human hair that may have belonged to King Tutunkhamun and his half-sister and wife Ankhesenamun. He died at the age of 19.

4. Because Tutankhamun was only 9 years old when he became king, furniture and weapons were made smaller for him. He also had a collection of 130 walking sticks in the tomb. Researchers discovered Tutankhamun had a club foot and must have walked with some difficulty. Walking sticks may have aided his stride, and represented wisdom and status. The walking stick above has never been out of Egypt. This walking stick has a display of a submissive prisoner on the handle. Holding onto this stick was like choking the neck of the prisoner, demonstrating his control of his empire.

5. Look for blue items. The color blue represents the sky,  a symbol of rebirth that would occur in the afterlife. These “open mouth” water vessels were poured into one’s mouth.

6. Enter the Danger! room. Learn how each of the 12 gates of the Netherworld represent one of the 12 hours of the night. Images of lions, jackals and snakes ruled the treacherous place. The Book of Dead was a collection of almost 200 spells gathered from the earliest Egyptian civilization. It was a roadmap for the deceased to guide them through the Netherworld to the afterlife. Magic spells were written on papyrus rolls, on tomb walls in pyramids and on the walls of the royal burial chambers in the Valley of the Kings. The king’s ability to dominate the panther in this statue above is described as one who carries Tutankhamun to safety through the nocturnal darkness of the Netherworld.

7. Next is the Guardian room. As Tutankhamun reaches the end of his dangerous journey, the first ray of light begins to break through. See Gilded Wooden Statue of Ptah wearing a cobalt-blue glass skullcap. On his scepter are three hieroglyphs – life, stability and sovereignty.

8. One of the most dramatic artifacts is this Wooden Guardian Statue with piercing volcanic obsidian eyes. His sandals and forehead are made of bronze. Other metals include gold.

9. Venture into the Rebirth area of the collection when Tutankhamun is reborn. For the rest of eternity, he will join the other gods and sail across the sky each day. His nights are spent traveling through the Netherworld. He triumphed over death and attained immortality.There were 413 workers buried with Tutankhamun that included 365 small workers, one for each day of the year. Their were 36 larger overseers, roughly one per week (Egyptian week was 10 days long) and 12 foremen, one for each month.

10. Jewelry fans will enjoy examining the exquisite rings found on King Tut’s fingers, opulent jewelry that adorned his body, and the gold sandals placed on his feet upon burial.

Discover how the scientific analysis of King Tut’s 3,300-year-old mummy has revealed new information about his health and lineage, and how cutting-edge technologies have played a role in discovering new tombs and analyzing existing ones in ways never before imagined.
Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition! Click here to purchase a ticket today – https://californiasciencecenter.org/exhibits/king-tut-treasures-of-the-golden-pharaoh.