The richest place on Earth ?

Unimaginable treasures were entombed with the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings. Sadly, these riches tempted thieves who were driven by a greed that outweighed any fear of retribution from their divine rulers or the gods. Even the builders and guardians of the tombs could not always be trusted, and most of the sacred resting places were soon plundered. The discovery by Howard Carter in 1922 of the almost undisturbed tomb of Tutankhamun (who died around 1325 BCE) revealed the riches of the New Kingdom royal burials in the Valley of the Kings. But Tutankhamun was a young and obscure pharaoh. His fabulous treasures can only hint at those looted from the tombs of great kings like Ramesses II.

The coffin in which Tutankhamun was entombed was made from 110 kilograms of gold. The image of the pharaoh holds a crook and flail that symbolized royal power in ancient Egypt. The treasures of Tutankhamun are now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.