Lord and Pharaoh : Carnarvon and the Search for Tutankhamun

Though they lived over 3000 years apart, the lives of Egyptian King Tutankhamun and the fifth Lord Carnarvon-- who found his tomb-- share many parallels. Brian Fagan’s artful narrative weaves these two lives together, showing how archaeological information can effectively tell the story of real lives of people in the past.

Both born to power and wealth, and raised by courtiers, they lived lives of aristocrats and landowners, in poor health and with uncertain futures. Though they lived over 3000 years apart, the lives of Egyptian King Tutankhamun and the fifth Lord Carnarvon share many parallels, not the least of which was Carnarvon’s sponsorship of the team that found the pharaoh’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Brian Fagan’s narrative expertly weaves these two lives together, showing similarities and differences between these two powerful men. -Both figures are placed in their historical context, showing the political and social machinations of 18th Dynasty Egypt and 20th century archaeological exploration in Egypt.-Grounded in historical and archaeological research, the two figures are made to come alive as real people.-An Afterword by the author shows archaeologists how to tell research stories that are accessible to a wider audience.