Tutankhamun is a pharaoh who lived in Egypt over 3,000 years ago.

He came to the throne when he was about nine and he died mysteriously when he was only 18 or 19.

There are not many traces left of his short reign. We know very little about him.

So why did Tutankhamun become the most famous pharaoh?

It’s because of the huge treasures found in his tomb in 1922; one of the biggest archaeological discoveries of all time.

That year, a British archaeologist, Howard Carter, was carrying out excavations in the Valley of the Kings, where many pharaohs are buried.

He discovered stone steps leading down to a door; and behind it… the Royal burial chamber.

Carter and his team entered the chamber and discovered an amazing treasure.

Like all the Kings in those days, Tutankhamun was buried with a collection of objects to accompany him after his death.

Thousands of jewels, perfectly intact vases and statues were found in the tomb that had several chambers.

One of them housed the Kings mummy, lying in four fitted coffins with a fabulous golden death mask.

It took 10 years to photograph, number, measure and restore each object.

Today, whenever these masterpieces are displayed outside of Egypt, thousands of visitors throng to admire them.