On a hot day in November of 1922, a boy started to dig in the sand with a stick. In Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, the temperature usually measures at least 90 degrees—even in winter. The boy was part of the long, blistering mission to find King Tut’s tomb. He was just a water fetcher. But before he knew it, his digging stick had struck something. It had uncovered a stone step leading to Tut’s tomb. 

The boy called to Howard Carter, who stood nearby. Mr. Carter was a British archeologist. Twenty-two days later, Mr. Carter had dug far enough to enter the tomb. His candle flame flickered in the hot air. The air had rested in the sealed rooms for thousands of years!

Mr. Carter’s eyes adjusted to the darkness. He saw strange carved animals and statues. Everything glinted gold. Mr. Carter was too surprised to speak. Behind him stood a rich man named Lord Carnarvon. He had paid for the expedition. “Can you see anything?” asked Lord Carnarvon. 

Mr. Carter finally found his voice. “Yes,” he answered. “Wonderful things!” 

As a child, Howard Carter was often sick and had to be homeschooled. He lived in Great Britain. His father, an artist, painted a portrait of a famous expert on Egypt. The painting sparked Howard’s curiosity. At the age of 17, he traveled to Egypt. There he drew copies of what archeologists found.

King Tut’s tomb was filled with treasures. It even held toys from the king’s boyhood. Its discovery changed how people understood the history of the ancient world. No one had ever found a tomb so well kept. Soon, Mr. Carter’s love for ancient Egypt spread all over the world!