Why was the tomb of Tutankhamun significant to the history of its specific civilization?

When Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922, the significance of the find was not who was buried there, but what.  For centuries, the tombs of the pharaohs had been looted by grave robbers, but Tutankhamen's tomb was remarkably preserved.  Tutankhamen was a relatively insignificant figure in the history of Egypt but because his tomb was left undisturbed for so long, it revealed much about the culture and history of the Ancient Egyptians.  This is especially true of their religious beliefs and their view of the afterlife.  There were thousands of objects that were buried alongside King Tut.  The significance is that the Egyptians believed that they could take their possession with them to the afterlife.  For that reason, all of the things that Tut considered important were found when Carter discovered his tomb.