American Discoveries in Egypt 



801 



Gold Necklace Found by Mr Davis in the Tomb of Queen Tiyi, January, 1907 



AMERICAN DISCOVERIES IN EGYPT 



IN a recent address to the National 

 Geographic Society, Mr Theodore M. 

 Davis, of Newport, gave an interesting 

 description of his discovery and opening 

 of the tomb of Queen Tiyi in the Valley 

 of the Tombs, Egypt, in January, 1907. 

 Queen Tiyi was one of the most romantic 

 personages in Ancient Egypt, and, though 

 not of noble birth, because of her beauty 

 became the Queen of Amenhotep II. She 

 ruled at a time when Egypt was at the 

 height of its fame and wealth, and both 

 she and her husband vastly increased the 

 power of the kingdom. Queen Tiyi, 

 however, was not sympathetic with the 

 ancient religion, and through her influ- 

 ence her son, Akhnaton, who ruled for 

 nearly thirty years, abandoned the Egyp- 

 tian gods and endeavored to establish a 

 Iselief in one God. According to Mr Davis. 

 Akhnaton was the first ruler in authentic 

 liistorv who argued that there was only 

 one God. His influence was, however, 



unfortunate from a material point of 

 view, as he lived in seclusion and devoted 

 himself almost entirely to meditation, 

 with the result that the empire dwindled 

 away during his reign. 



The mummy of Queen Tiyi was found 

 in a golden coffin made in human form 

 and richly studded with jewels and pre- 

 cious stones. A vulture diadem of gold 

 was placed around her head and the body 

 wrapped in sheets of gold. The tomb 

 contained four canopic vases containing 

 the queen's heart and intestines, beautiful 

 alabaster vases and dishes, and excjuisite 

 inlaid furniture. 



Mr Davis is a man of means, who at 

 his own expense has been carrying on ex- 

 plorations in Egypt for nearly 20 years. 

 Two years prior to this last discovery he 

 found the tombs of Queen Tivi's father 

 and mother, Uaa and Tuaa. His work is 

 done solely for the benefit of science and 

 the iov of discovery, as all his discoveries 

 become the property of the Museum at 

 Cairo. 



