|
ANKH n° 14-15, 1999-2000, pp.
168 - 175.
 |
The Whitening of Black King “Tut” :
Implications for Educating All Children
Almost
thirty years ago (circa 1979), my wife and I took our children
to San Francisco to see the “Treasures of Tutankhamen” exhibit
showing at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum.
After waiting in a long line, we
finally entered the great hall where the museum had recreated
the initial discovery of the dark tomb entrance and storage
areas by presenting the objects in approximately the same order
in which they were found. Photomurals of 1922 Carter excavation
scenes and replications of contemporary newspaper accounts
adorned the museum walls. A hush of awe fell over the crowd as
people walked amongst the possessions of the Boy King. Amazed at
King Tut’s bejeweled knife, solid gold funeral mask, a gilded
wood figure of the goddess Selket, lamps, jars, jewelry, bed,
headrest canopic jars, sevat games, and other objects for his
afterlife, the crowd looked in almost disbelief at the splendor
of Africa.
Then
our daughter, Zetha saw the larger than life size picture of
Howard Carter and broke the silence with her shrill 7-year-old
voice and proclaimed, “That is the thief. He’s the grave
robber. That’s the one who stole all this stuff from Africa.”
It is true that out of the mouths of Babes… some people’s great
discovery is another people’s robbed grave. And the controversy
continues. King Tut is coming back to America shrouded in the
on-going debate as to his racial identity. |
