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Event 3: Egyptian Exhibit at California Science Center (5/19/18)

My dad and I got tickets to attend the King Tut exhibit at the California Science Center. This exhibit
was amazing because it displayed many artifacts from King Tut’s tomb, the only tomb that was
untouched by robbers until Howard Carter discovered the location. What was really interesting
was that the pharaohs that came into power after King Tut wanted to erase his name from history
because the Egyptians believe people die twice, once when their heart stops and once when the
last person who speaks their name dies. This is ironic because despite their attempt to stop his
immortality, King Tut is now the most famous pharaoh in history (California Science Center).
While the stories behind his death and the religious meaning behind each artifact was very
interesting, the most interesting part to me was the use of amazingly advanced technology in the
construction of these pieces and the pyramids or art and the use of CAT scans when
“unwrapping” the mummy and his treasures.
scan of jewelry worn by King Tut's
mummy
The exact technology the Egyptians used when crafting jewelry, decorative ornaments, furniture,
and even the pyramids is a huge mystery in the world, but the craftsmanship and intricate details
in the paint and engraving is so precise and symmetrical. As we all know, Egyptians were a very
advanced society for its time, so it is not unreasonable to acknowledge the use of math when
constructing and creating these artworks. Geometry and mathematical theories such as the
golden ratio, optics, and symmetry were used to create intricate patterns and paintings (Vesna).
While I’m sure the Egyptians didn’t call these art/math techniques by the names we know them
by now, artifacts are examples and proof that they did know how to use math to create art. The
pyramids actually are perfect examples of use of the golden ratio, the use of pi to calculate the
circumference of a circle, and the pythagorean theorem (Meisner).
X-ray and CAT scans of King Tut's
head
The use of CAT scans and other technology that is typically used for medicinal practices were
used to x-ray King Tut’s mummy to see what artifacts were wrapped within the linens as well as
to learn basic information about the pharaoh’s health and cause of death. CAT scans are a
new tool to use in art because it uses x-ray technology but the machine quickly rotates around the
subject and produced cross-sectional images, often called "slices" and that when stacked upon
one another form a 3D image of the basic structures (NIH). These new 3D, detailed X-ray images allowed
scientists to figure out King Tut died from malaria and infection, make inferences about his health
based on his good teeth, and figure out that the two baby mummies in his tomb were actually his
stillborn children (California Science Center).
me with an Egyptian artifact
The use of technology has allowed us to discover and further understand ancient civilization
and their creation of art. It is also cool to think about how the 1951 discovery of King Tut's tomb
had such a huge impact on pop culture. 'Tut-mania' took over the world in every way possible.
This sparked the creation of movies such as the 1963 film, Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor
as well as multiple songs, like Steve Martin's King Tut (Kamp). This Egyptian influence still can
be seen in modern pop culture. For example, Beyoncé wore an Egyptian-inspired costume while
preforming at Coachella. While King Tut's artifacts have dumbfounded scientists with the complexity
of the creation, the style and design influence has captured the world for decades. I would
Beyoncé's Coachella outfit (Julee Wilson)
recommend this event to my classmates because it was not only very interesting but the artifacts were very cool and designed very beautifully.

Sources:


Vesna, Victoria. “Math + Art.” Lecture 2.
Meisner, Gary. "Phi, Pi and the Great Pyramid of Egypt at Giza." The Golden Number. Last modified
August 18, 2012. Accessed May 29, 2018. https://www.goldennumber.net/
phi-pi-great-pyramid-egypt/.

 
California Science Center. King Tut: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh. Los Angeles.
Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine + Technology + Art.” Lecture part 1. April 29, 2018.

 
Kamp, David. "The King of New York." Vanity Fair, www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/04/ 
     king-tut-exhibit-new-york. 


Wilson, Julee. "Beyoncé's Coachella Costumes Were Designed by a Black Man, of Course." Essence, 


     www.essence.com/fashion/beyonc%C3%A9-coachella-cosutmes-balmain.

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