"Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs," a new exhibition featuring more than 130 treasures from the tomb of the celebrated pharaoh King Tut and additional ancient sites, will begin a United States tour this fall. The premiere at the Atlanta Civic Center will be presented by the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University from November 15, 2008 to May 22, 2009, followed by an engagement at the Indianapolis Children's Museum from June to October 2009.The exhibition is organized by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International and AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. Northern Trust is the presenting sponsor of the tour, and American Airlines is the official airline."Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" is the second National Geographic exhibition dedicated to the remarkable treasures of King Tutankhamun and ancient Egyptian royalty. The first exhibition, "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs," was visited by nearly 4 million people during its four-city U.S. tour from 2005 to 2007, and will begin a three-city encore tour in Dallas later this year."Tutankhamun's magic still captures the hearts of people all over the world, even though more than 75 years have passed since the discovery of his amazing tomb," said Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. "America has welcomed the golden king, and now he returns, bringing with him all the great pharaohs of Egypt. This exhibition will raise much-needed funds for the preservation of Egypt's monuments and the construction and renovation of museums throughout the country. I always say that Egyptian antiquities are the heritage of the world and that we are only their guardians.""Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" will feature striking objects from some of the most important rulers throughout 2,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, from the 4th Dynasty into the Late Period (about 2600 B.C. - 660 B.C.). Derived from a variety of contexts, including temples and royal and private tombs, many of these artifacts have never before visited the United States.The exhibition will highlight more than 50 treasures from Tutankhamun's tomb and more than 70 artifacts representing other pharaohs and notables, along with the latest scientific research about King Tut. The storyline will focus on the splendor of the Egyptian pharaohs, their function in the earthly and divine worlds, and what kingship meant to the Egyptian people."Tutankhamun is truly a worldwide sensation, and now, with two touring exhibitions focused on this legendary king, Americans are fortunate to have access to such an unprecedented wealth of items representing Egypt's heritage," said John Norman, president, Arts and Exhibitions International. "The two prior visits of King Tut's treasures to the U.S. were among the most successful exhibits in national history. We anticipate that this new exhibition of entirely new objects will similarly captivate the nation."Visitors will encounter artifacts from some of the most powerful rulers of Egypt, such as Khefren, whose great pyramid is the only remaining structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world; Hatshepsut, the queen who became king; and Psusennes I, whose magnificent golden death mask will be on display."Egypt's ancient treasures are among the world's greatest cultural legacies," said Terry Garcia, executive vice president, National Geographic Society. "Even with the great wealth of research that already exists, new technologies continue to open up the past in ways never imagined. Visitors to this exhibit will not only see stunning artifacts spanning 2,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, but they will also learn more about the life and death of Tutankhamun through recent CT scans conducted on his mummy."Four galleries devoted to King Tut will correspond to the four rooms of his nearly intact tomb where the treasures were discovered by British explorer Howard Carter in 1922. Legendary artifacts from the antechamber, the annex, the treasury and the burial chamber will include Tutankhamun's golden sandals, jewelry, furniture, weaponry and statuary.The exhibition also will include the largest image of King Tut ever found -- a 10-foot statue that originally may have stood at Tutankhamun's mortuary temple and retains much of its original paint. One of the four gold and precious-stone-inlaid canopic coffinettes that contained his mummified internal organs also will be exhibited.The final gallery will feature CT scans of Tutankhamun that were obtained as part of a landmark, Egyptian research and conservation project, partially funded by National Geographic, that will CT-scan the ancient mummies of Egypt. The Tutankhamun scans were captured through the use of a portable CT scanner, donated by Siemens Medical Solutions, which allowed researchers to compile the first three-dimensional picture of Tutankhamun and discover more about his life and death.The Michael C. Carlos Museum will lead the development of educational materials in conjunction with the exhibition for elementary, middle and high school audiences. These supplemental materials will be downloadable for free to classrooms across the country and will address topics such as childhood in ancient Egypt and how the journey to the afterlife was believed to occur.