The historic examination of Tutankhamun’s mummy inside the tomb’s innermost coffin was performed over seven days in October and November of 1925, and meticulously recorded in Carter’s journals.

“From the hands downwards the royal mummy has been covered by a libation, which has darkened the linen and hidden the detail of the inlaid gold bands which bear texts edged with rows of beads.”

The pharaoh’s golden mask in its striped royal headdress had to remain fixed in place as the team examined the mummy, layer by layer, to prevent damage.

The pharaoh was positioned like Osiris, god of the dead, with crossed golden hands clasping a crook and flail.

Gold bands encrusted with colored glass and semiprecious stones, featuring intricate designs and hieroglyphics, swaddled the king.

“The under bandages which were very voluminous were found to be equally decayed and fragile, in fact, as it eventually proved the deeper and nearer the body, the worse the condition.”

Six thin gold collars hung around the neck of the pharaoh, who was considered the divine intermediary between Egyptians and their gods. The vulture, serpent, and falcon are traditional iconography of eternal protection in the hereafter.

Testing confirmed high levels of cobalt and nickel in the iron dagger, signs of its possible meteoric origin.

“Further layers of decayed wrappings were carefully removed from the lower part of the mummy … Objects were removed. This enabled the body to be bared down to the skin, from the top of the abdomen to the feet.”

A falcon-headed pectoral over Tut’s chest, a bangled arm, and a hilted gold dagger were studded with small, colored glass and stone inlaid in gold.

“Near the flesh of the king the wrappings were nothing more than charred powder.”

When removing the lower leg bandages, the team found gold-capped toes wrapped in thimble-like stalls, with the mummy’s feet carefully placed in sandals to preserve the delicate appendages.

“In all the material we have just seen we have a clear insight of the work of the skilled craftsmen of Thebes. The court artisans were naturally picked men, and in this last discovery we can discern the refinement of their art.”

After unwrapping the decayed layers of cloth over the left arm, the team discovered hinged bracelets and rings adorning the pharaoh’s fingers. Some pieces had fine patterns of granulated beads and were fashioned out of electrum, a mixture of silver and gold. The jewelry bore the likeness of the young king, his name, scarabs, and the gods.

“The lower part of the body and limbs having been completely bared and thoroughly examined ... we were able to proceed with the uncovering of the upper part of the trunk of body as far as the shoulders.”

Ancient Egyptians believed amulets channeled divine forces and protected the deceased. Djed pillars, amulets associated with the god of the underworld, Osiris, were found around Tut’s neck and body.

“The result of Drs. [Douglas] Derry and Saleh Bey’s study of the bony frame of the mummy, so far exposed, has enabled them to give a definite pronouncement as to the age of Tut.ankh.Amen. This controversial question has now been settled and his age definitely fixed between the limits of 17 to 19 years of age.”

“It is now five days since the examination of the mummy was begun, and by this afternoon we have reached only as far as the neck, having completed the investigation from the feet thus far.”

During the ancient process of preparing a pharaoh’s body, which traditionally took 70 days, priests removed Tutankhamun’s internal organs and brain. The resin applied during this period hardened over millennia, so much so that the body had to be dismantled to free it from the coffin and mask.

“It was found that like the body of the king the back of the head was stuck to the mask—so firmly that it would require a hammer chisel to free it. Eventually we used hot knives for the purpose with success.”