Read the caption below and answer the questions that follow.

on february 16, 1923, the times of london cabled the new york times with dramatic news of a discovery, saying,
“this has been, perhaps, the most extraordinary day in the whole history of egyptian excavation…”

what discovery is being discussed? why was this discovery so important?

It was Tutankhamen's tomb. It considered by many archeologists and historians as the 20th century's most important discovery. The tomb was virtually intact with all the king’s treasures and his relics present, beyond the paintings on the wall.

Explanation:

This remarkable finding was a journey of three decades. The first archeologist to discover artifacts in the excavation area was the English Edward Russell Ayrton, in 1907. After studies, researchers have found that those pieces were present in Tutankhamen’s funeral and many expeditions have been sent to that area.

In 1914 the excavations began once again and lasted for another seven years, although nothing was found. Finally, in 1922, Ayrton unsealed the tomb’s second door and found gold statues, beds, and other king’s personal objects. After entering the burial tomb, Ayrton realized he was inside that king’s mausoleum due to its shrines and splendorous decoration using gold and paintings that were in preserved conditions.  

That was the best-preserved tomb ever discovered, with untook remains and an unopened sarcophagus. Another English archeologist, Howard Carter, took many objects and move to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. In 1922, he opened Tutankhamen’s sarcophagus and revealing the king’s mummy to the world. During this century, in 2007 precisely, the mummy was removed to the Luxor Museum, returning to the tomb, which is opened for visiting afterward.

Some legends related to some involved archeologists during the exploration period are part of the “Curse of the Pharoahs”, considering that would be an after-life revenge. Actually, Lord Carnavon, who was inside the tomb, died after a mosquito bite. Another eight people died, but studies have proved that they were only casualties.