Tombs, Totems, and Time Travel: What King Tut’s World Says About Ours
What does an ancient boy-king have to do with animals, ecosystems, and legacy? A lot more than I expected.
If you’d asked me at age nine what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was easy: an archaeologist. Preferably one who wore a wide-brimmed hat and discovered secret tombs by torchlight. In particular, I loved learning about ancient Egypt — the gods with animal heads, the treasure-packed burial chambers, the sheer mystery of it all.
My grandparents had traveled to Egypt, and their house was full of decor from there that I was not supposed to touch (but absolutely did). Papyrus prints, tiny scarab beetles, a bust of Nefertiti. Their living room felt like a museum, and I wanted in.
Somewhere along the way, I swapped pyramids for public lands, and field notes for trail maps. But recently, that old obsession came roaring back — thanks to a visit to "Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures," an immersive exhibit at the Biltmore in Asheville, NC.
I expected gold. Glitz. Maybe a good air-conditioned break from the North Carolina humidity. What I didn’t expect? That deep, awe-struck, can’t-shake-it feeling. You know the one — where you feel tiny and ancient at the same time?
And as I wandered through the tomb replica, something clicked.
Sure, ancient Egypt might seem like a weird fit for an outdoorsy site. But the more I dug in (archaeology pun fully intended), the more connections I saw — between sacred landscapes and seasonal cycles, between animal symbolism and wildlife reverence, between what they chose to preserve… and what we choose to protect.
So over the next few Field Trip newsletters, I’ll be geeking out with you on all things Tut’s tomb. Promise it’s not just history class. We’re talking:
• Creature gods and sacred beasts — how the Egyptians mythologized animals and what that says about our relationship with wildlife today
• Preserved for eternity — why mummification is a master class in long-term thinking (and what it means for how we protect ecosystems now)
• Tomb raiders vs. caretakers — what modern conservation can learn from the fights over who owns ancient artifacts
• Ancient field science — how Egyptian astronomers and naturalists tracked seasons and species without ever using the word “data”
You don’t need to be a history buff to get something out of it. Just curious. Outdoorsy. And maybe a little obsessed with the idea of legacy — both human and wild.
If You Go (and You Should)
"Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures" is a traveling exhibit, so even if you’re not near the Biltmore, there’s a good chance it may come your way. And if you do go, keep an eye out for these Field Trip–worthy details:
• Animal symbolism: From falcon-headed Horus to sacred scarabs, animals were more than mascots — they were gods.
• What they chose to preserve: Everything from honey to footstools made the afterlife packing list. It says a lot.
• Landscape and celestial ties: Their gods, calendars, and rituals all synced to the land and stars. A reminder that ancient people lived seasonally — something we’re just now rediscovering.
• Material culture = meaning: The stuff left behind wasn’t just decorative. It was chosen. Intentionally. And isn’t that what we talk about with conservation all the time? Choose what you want to last.
If you can’t make it to the exhibit (or even if you can), join me over the next few weeks. We’ll dig deep, get nerdy, and uncover what a 3,000-year-old civilization can still teach us about nature, culture, and what we choose to leave behind.
