Southern California has many fun things to do but something that you might not know is that the infamous King Tut is in townI Or at least his treasures are. Still…that’s better than nothing if you ask me.
I was surprised to find that many local people (let alone tourists) were not aware that King Tut: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh is on loan from Egypt and is currently being displayed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. But take note, I have recently found out the Egyptian government has said that this will be the last time the King Tut treasures will tour the world, as they are building a permanent home and have plans to keep the artifacts. So you can imagine that when I learned of that little fact, I just had to go see it before it left California for good (if you’re heading to Europe soon, you might be able to see it there as that is where it will be headed to after leaving the US).
It has been said that the discovery of King Tut’s tomb was the greatest archaeological finding of all time and this year mark’s it’s 100-year anniversary. This tour showcases over 150 authentic artifacts from King Tut’s tomb, 60 of which have never traveled outside of Egypt until now (another reason to go see it before it leaves). I remember seeing a King Tut exhibition years ago in LA and so I was pleasantly surprised to see so many new artifacts when we visited a few months ago.
King Tut’s death is one of history’s great unsolved mysteries and I remember theories explained back when I was in school about the cause of his death. Guess what? All of those theories have pretty much been disproven in recent years with the help of technologies such as CT scanning and DNA analysis. You will also learn how the examination of King Tut’s 3,300-year-old mummy has uncovered new information about his health and lineage. A big portion of the exhibit focuses on this so put your theories away and go figure out what really happened to him.
Besides disproven theories, the most striking piece to me was the 10-foot tall Guardian of the Ka artifact – a statue that was originally placed at Tut’s tomb to guard his life force. This is one of the pieces that has never left Egypt before, which was really cool! The figure’s blank, jet-black eyes are beautiful yet stare right through you and chill you to the bone! Something so haunting yet captivating at the same time.
Since the tomb was hidden deep in the Valley of Kings, it was well protected from thousands of years of potential thieves, which is why we are able to see so many amazing pieces from the most intact royal tomb ever to be discovered. Things like musical instruments from Tut’s funeral (oldest trumpet known to man), famous crook and flail, and the colossal quartzite statue of The King, to name a few.
All of these items are over 3000 years old! Can you just imagine how British archaeologist Howard Carter and his young water boy felt when they discovered this 100 years ago? I can’t speak for them but I know I’d be ecstatic to have found such a historical jackpot seemingly in the middle of nowhere!
In case none of that motivate you to go, I would just like let you know it leaves in January (never to return again) and you can even buy tickets online to avoid the lines which will actually give you an entrance time frame so that you can just walk right in with little to no fuss. I also encourage you to purchase the audio guide while you are at it as it gives more background on the time period and detail on the pieces in the collection. If you prepay for that, it will save you from standing in yet another line (all the more reason to go).
Trust me when I say, this is an exhibit worth the time. And to make it a nice all-day outing, there are many restaurant options in the surrounding area including the new USC Village and L.A. Live where you can have a meal and walk around afterwards as well.
I don’t know about you, but I am not sure if my travels will ever lead me to Egypt, but I sure am glad I was able to see this King Tut exhibit before it heads back, never to leave Egypt again. So I would take a day and make your way to the California Science Center for this incredible experience.
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