CSI Thebes: The Case of the Missing Pectoral

Abstract This chapter highlights the research of Dr. Marc Gabolde, who has been searching for the pectoral stolen from Tutankhamun’s mummy sometime between the 1930s and the 1980s. Using auction catalogues and museum records, Gabolde has been able to identify several pieces of restrung jewelry made from beads originally found in Tutankhamun’s tomb. It is well established that Carter had these objects in his London apartment and that they were sold as part of his estate after he died. However, they may have been originally taken out of Egypt by Lord Carnarvon and then passed on to Carter after Carnarvon’s death. This chapter shows that far more objects from the tomb than might be expected are in collections around the world.