More re display of the mummy of Tutankhamun

National Geographic (Steve Stanek)

Thanks to Kat for bringing this story to my attention - there are so many articles focusing on this subject that I've hit saturation point with them. This article, however, has more details about the condition of the tomb, its impact on the mummy, and the technology behind the new arrangements.

The relative humidity had reached 95 percent, said Shin Maekawa, senior scientist at the Los Angeles, California-based Getty Conservation Institute. Maekawa measured the tomb's interior climate a decade ago.

"It is almost a saturated condition … and in that condition any organic object will be attacked by fungi and mold," he said.

"The tomb doesn't have any ventilation or any system to refresh the air, so the density of carbon dioxide and moisture generated by visitors tend to remain in the tomb."

Mummies can survive for thousands of years, in part because tombs were closed with an airtight seal in ancient times.

Once the tomb was opened, Maekawa pointed out, outside air was allowed in and the conditions "became very unstable."

According to Kent Weeks, an Egyptologist who discovered nearby tombs belonging to the pharaoh Ramses II's sons, the climate and high visitation rates have already taken their toll.

"So much of it has already been damaged," he said. "They are probably dealing with about only 70 percent of what originally was there"

See the above page for the rest of this two page story.