Hieroglyphics frame the walls, offset by the light and dark contrast of moving shadows. Several figures gather around an ancient form, hoping to uncover a relic anticipated for thousands of years. It’s November 4, 1922, and Howard Carter with his team of renowned archaeologists has just discovered the best preserved tomb in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings: the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, according to a book written by Carter about the discovery.

Fast forward 85 years to November 5, 2007 to an equally prestigious occasion: the unveiling of the never-before-seen face of the young pharaoh. Though the body of King Tut was almost ruined by Carter and his team, the face was left untouched due to its fragility, until now, according to a Discovery News article.

According to the article, King Tut ruled in 1333 B.C. at age nine, until his sudden death in 1325 B.C. at age 19. Zahi Hawass, the chief of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, asserts that Tut was killed in a hunting accident in the desert, when he fell from his chariot and fractured his left leg.

Tim Wallace, an associate professor of sociology and archeology, credits the unmasking with generating interest in related archaeological studies. In addition, he believes the manner of the pharaoh’s death had the result of humanizing him in the public eye. He refers to King Tut as an “ancient rock star,” comparing public interest in the historical figure to the publicity surrounding celebrities such as Angelina Jolie or George Clooney.

“When we find out what was happening to an ancient rock star [King Tut] — we find out that he died from a broken leg — it helps us to have a better connection,” he said. “We put them on a pedestal, but we want to see them as human.”

Wallace said he has seen the capacity of events such as the unmasking to give people a better understanding of the related scientific field. Just as the popular televisions series CSI has generated interest in forensic anthropology, he hopes that the unmasking will do the same for the field of environmental archaeology.

However, the influence of King Tut’s unmasking is not limited to one field. Wallace further connects the event to biological archaeology. Wallace said that as anthropologists “detect more and more about how people lived, and what affected them physiologically, it helps to connect the present with the past and helps us understand ancient environments.” Wallace relates this to fairly recent discoveries of historical instances of flooding and global warming as well as other natural disasters. Events such as these went undetected until several years ago. Current technology allows researchers to perform physiological procedures such as uncovering the face of King Tut, thus leading to the deduction of such historical events. Regardless of the preservation measures being taken with King Tut’s mummy, tampering with ancient remains will inevitably result in some level of destruction.

According to the Discovery News article, the body of King Tut was recently relocated to an underground tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Upon previously entering the tomb to perform CT scans in 2005, Zahi Hawass, chief of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities found the body to be broken in 18 pieces. Now, it is housed in a “hi-tech, climate-controlled glass case” to counteract the destructive effects of air exposure. Hawass reveals that prior to this installation, the humidity and heat caused by the breathing of close to 5,000 visitors a day would have reduced the body to a powder.

Wallace said from an environmental preservation stance, the best situation would be if the mummy had never been uncovered. He explains that when artifacts are taken out of the ground, it leads to severe deterioration, as illustrated by the poor condition of King Tut’s body. Furthermore, though there is technology to aid in preservation, it is not perfect. While Wallace is confident that the condition of King Tut’s body will remain intact for a period of time, he questions its longevity. He raises the concern that the 21st century technology being implemented may not be effective in several years.