Digital exhibition brings story of ancient Egypt’s King Tut to life

Ancient Egypt’s boy king, Tutankhamun, and his golden tomb have captivated people’s imagination since it they were discovered by British archaeologist, Howard Carter, more than 100 years ago.

Now visitors can immerse themselves in the story of these two men in a digital exhibition at London’s Excel Centre.

The discovery of Tutankhamun’s undisturbed 3,000-year-old tomb and its treasures was a watershed moment in archaeology.

Jelle de Jong, the CEO of Madrid Artes Digitales which produced the exhibition describes the immersive room where the history of Egypt comes to life on an 8-metre-high canvas.

The more than 1,200 square metres displays a 360 degree vivid 30-minute film exploring the natural landscapes, cultural heritage, the life of the boy king, and the discovery of his tomb.

“We really are feeling like we’re in the midst of a movie, in the midst of this huge cinematic experience where you see the Nile, you see the Sphinx, you see the pyramids,” he said.

“You go into tomb, you see everything that the beauty of Egypt has to offer in the most big and grander way, actually, how it should be, here in London.”

Using VR headsets, visitors can see a recreation of the artwork Carter first laid eyes on as he entered the grave.

“We move to the metaverse, where you can walk around freely in a room, be Howard Carter himself, be in his base camp, go through his notebook, listen to the music he was listening back in 1922, on the day he discovered a tomb for himself,” said de Jong.

“And then you go inside the Valley of the Kings, and you are walking around in the tomb with a torch in your hand in this all digital world.”

The exhibition also includes artefacts, both replicas and genuine ones, but the real draw is the technology which aims to give people a taste of what it was like to be there on the famous dig.

“The most famous moment in the story of the discovery is when he opened a small hole in the first door of the antechamber,” said curator Nacho Ares.

“He introduced the candle and he waits a few seconds and Lord Carnarvon asked him: Carter, can you see anything? And he answered: yes. Wonderful things.”

Mystery has surrounded Tutankhamen since the discovery, from a supposed curse on his tomb to uncertainty around how he died.

It’s now believed he passed away after a chariot accident.

But his mummy and the 5,398 objects he was buried with are really the only pieces of evidence remaining to tell his story.

Tutankhamun, The Immersive Exhibition opens on 28 March at London’s Excel Centre and runs for 14 weeks.

By Rédaction Africanews