King Tut at Discovery Times Square Exposition

King Tut=ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.  The exhibition (set-up/execution) itself wasn’t that amazing but the artifacts are a chance in a lifetime thing to see.

The exhibition rack card boasts that this is the exhibition’s last stop before returning to Egypt FOREVER!   I’m glad I went to it.  Some of the artifacts are over 3,000 years old and they are so beautiful.  My two favorite artifacts in the exhibition were not even King Tutankhamun’s.

Funerary Figurine of Resi – I was unable to find a picture of this but the intricacy of this figurine is exquisite.  Resi was a member of King Amenhotep III’s (Tut’s Grandfather) harem.

Coffin of Tjuya – This photograph does no justice to the gold gilded sarcophagus.  Tjuya was Amenhotep III’s mother-in-law.

The exhibition contains artifacts from the 18^th dynasty of rulers covering a span of roughly 100 years. Tut ascended the throne around 1330 BCE. The exhibition was set up as I believe a typical blockbuster exhibition usually is: big, ominous and showy.  It was over-crowded, with low-lighting and mysterious background music. Okay, so I actually enjoyed the music it did add a little bit of excitement to things.

I love being able to walk all the way around an artifact, especially when they are so intricate.

Artifact selection was amazing; there was a wide variety and not too many versions of almost alike objects.

Neutral: My ticket included the 3D movie.  3D is fun but the 20 minute movie itself did not add to the exhibition.

Negatives: There was severe funneling at the beginning and end of the exhibition and this caused for some major blockage of flow.  I found this especially unfortunate at the end where the replica of King Tut’s mummy lies and three enormous text panels covering the latest in genetic testing and cause of death research.  This portion definitely should have been lent more space.

This period of history fascinates me and I gained considerable knowledge over the subject today.  If you’re in the area, this exhibition is a must see because the artifacts are exemplary.

My last comments today are about how torn this exhibition made me feel.  I wanted to cry for two reasons.  First, the artifacts are so beautiful, breath-taking and in such amazing condition.  They are really unsurpassed by few other things I have seen in my life.

Secondly, the Egyptians believed in an after-life and being immortal.  They felt if their name lived on then they too would.  In that sense, they have been immortalized.  I, however, cannot help but feel disrespectful in the fact that we have dug these souls up to gawk at and perform a million medical tests on.  Have we enhanced or disrupted their afterlife?

3,000 YEARS AGO! 3,000! That is so amazing that people have been in existence so long and that we have items they touched and used.  IT’S THE REAL THING and I saw it! This is why museums are AWESOME!