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Archaeology & History

Tutankhamun's tomb replica built in Egypt

By T.K. Randall
October 6, 2013 · Comment icon 3 comments

The replica tomb will help to preserve the original. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0 Harry Potts
Authorities have been attempting to tackle the damage that tourism is doing to ancient Egyptian tombs.
The tombs of ancient Egyptian pharaohs such as King Tutankhamun have been a prime tourist destination for visitors from all over the world for years, but while tourism is booming, many of the tombs have been suffering as a result of the sheer number of people traipsing in and out on a daily basis.

Attempts have been made to restore some of the tombs but in many cases these efforts have been responsible for making the problem worse. "The attempt to fix the tombs to make them visitable is itself now the largest long-term risk to the tombs," said Adam Lowe, whose firm Factum Arte has been involved in a unique new project designed to find a way to preserve the tombs while still offering visitors a taste of the past.
Under the supervision of Egypt's supreme council of antiquities, Lowe and his team have created a complete replica of King Tutankhamun's tomb costing over $800,000. The replica tomb is identical to the original and can be visited without the risk of collapsing ceilings or the damaging of priceless artifacts.

"It's not just a way of protecting the tomb of Tutankhamun, but it's a test case, a model that could be used to protect other sites across the country," said Egyptologist Kent Weeks.

Source: The Guardian | Comments (3)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #1 Posted by pallidin 11 years ago
Huh. I guess I didn't know the area inside was so fragile(or became so) I hate to see special sites permanently sealed from the general public, but I suppose in this case(and likely other's) the experts have to do what they need to, both for safety and site preservation. EDIT: I once heard that an internal site, perhaps also in Egypt(not sure) though not entirely closed to the public, is now restricted to only a certain number of visitors per day or whatever. In that case the reason isn't public safety, rather it was found that the gases(primarily carbon dioxide I think) released from many hun... [More]
Comment icon #2 Posted by Eldorado 11 years ago
This story is also covered in this weeks BBC magazine where they pose the question; Which would you rather visit - a fake tomb or a real one? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24478909 I'd still visit, just for the whole experience.
Comment icon #3 Posted by Kaa-Tzik 11 years ago
Clearly having so many tourists passing through the tombs and exhaling moist air is not good, perhaps they could have the decency to hold their breath until they exit However, the walls of Tutankhamun's tomb are spotted with mold and there has been some panic about this. Yet, when analyised, the spots were found to be inert, and a comparison of the number and size of the spots with photos taken of the tomb when it was first opened in modern times, showed no change at all in the last 90 years. The spots were caused by mold, but ancient mold as the tomb was sealed before the paint had dried. As ... [More]


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