An amazing , timely and thrilling story very well set in Egypt , though actually filmed in South Africa . On the whole this colorful series results to be a pretty good yarn. The essential story of the chance meeting that transformed ostracised archaeologist Howard Carter (Max Irons) into a household name following his discovery of the tomb of the boy-king, Tutankhamun , in the so-called Valley of the Kings . As penniless Carter is hired by British sponsor aristocrat , Lord Carnarvon (Sam Neill) , to do just that. But the hard walk to the surprising discovery is full of troublesome obstacles , such as : WWI outbreak , fake news , Arab uprising against the British rule fighting for complete independence, new Egyptian laws that abolished their right to a finder's fee , bankrupts and anything else . Along the way , backer Carnarvon's charming rebellious daughter, Evelyn (Amy Wren) befriends and seduces somewhat ingenuous Howard . Finally , Carter achieves his greatest dream. The past isn't a game !.
Decent and breathtaking series about Egypt , ancient discoveries , mysterious tombs , Pharaons and anything else . It results to be a workmanlike and sometimes moving flick that just lacks the surges of real excitement that might have turned into an adventure classy . An amazing , timely and thrilling story very well set in Egypt , at the mythological Valley of Kings . On the whole this TV series shot in the South African outdoors turn out to be a frankly good tale formed by 4 episodes . Filmed on location in South Africa desert , Egypt-alike , as the natural backdrop is riveting and look mighty hot and to add refreshing touches of romance to those parched desert sands . Main and support cast are pretty fine . Max Irons gives an adequate acting as the young , stubborn , good-natured archaeologist Howard Carter whose main obsession is to find the legendary tomb of the boy-king , while veteran Sam Neill is top-notch as the wealthy sponsoring patron . Along with Howard Carter's lovers , Amy Wren as Evelyn and Catherine Steadman as Maggie ; eventually Jonathan Aris plays alrightly his helper Herbert Winlock . The series was professionally directed by Peter Webber (Hannibal , The girl with a pearl earring , Emperor). This true life story was one worthy of television treatment .
The series based on actual events , these are the following ones : Tutankhamun was buried in a tomb that was unusually small considering his status. His death may have occurred unexpectedly, before the completion of a grander royal tomb, causing his mummy to be buried in a tomb intended for someone else . This would preserve the observance of the customary 70 days between death and burial. His tomb was robbed at least twice in antiquity, but based on the items taken (including perishable oils and perfumes) and the evidence of restoration of the tomb after the intrusions, these robberies likely took place within several months at most of the initial burial. The location of the tomb was lost because it had come to be buried by debris from subsequent tombs, and workers' houses were built over the tomb entrance. In 1907, Howard Carter was invited by William Garstin and Gaston Maspero to excavate for George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon in the Valley. The Earl of Carnarvon and Carter had hoped this would lead to their gaining the concession when Davis gave it up but had to be satisfied with excavations in different parts of the Theban Necropolis for seven more years. After a systematic search, beginning in 1915, Carter discovered the actual tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62) in November 1922 . By February 1923 the antechamber had been cleared of everything but two sentinel statues. A day and time were selected to unseal the tomb with about twenty appointed witnesses that included Lord Carnarvon, several Egyptian officials, museum representatives and the staff of the Government Press Bureau. On 17 February 1923 at just after two o'clock, the seal was broken . The discovery by Howard Carter of Tutankhamun's nearly intact tomb, in excavations funded by Lord Carnarvon, received worldwide press coverage . With over 5,000 artifacts, it sparked a renewed public interest in ancient Egypt, for which Tutankhamun's mask, now in the Egyptian Museum, remains a popular symbol. The deaths of a few involved in the discovery of Tutankhamun's mummy have been popularly attributed to the curse of the pharaohs. He has, since the discovery of his intact tomb, been referred to colloquially as "King Tut". Some of his treasure has traveled worldwide with unprecedented response. The Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities allowed tours beginning in 1961 and all around the world. This exhibit featured Tutankhamun's predecessors from the 18th Dynasty , including Hatshepsut and Akhenaten , but did not include the golden death mask. The artifacts were returned to Egypt with future plans to display them at the Grand Egyptian Museum, Cairo. The new museum will mark the first time that the full Tutankhamun collection, gathered from all of Egypt's museums and storerooms, is under one roof.
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