The Story of Tutankhamun: Patricia Cleveland-Peck

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With the death of Smenkhkare, the young Tutankhaten became king, and was married to Akhenaten’s third daughter, Ankhesenpaaton (later known as Ankhesenamen), probably the eldest surviving princess of the royal family. Because at his accession he was still very young, the elderly official Ay, who had long maintained ties with the royal family, and the general of the armies, Horemheb, served as Tutankhaten’s chief advisers. Paintings in the tomb of General Horemheb, who later became pharaoh himself, recorded that he was the only one brave enough to talk to Tutankhamun when he was angry.

Blakely, R. (2023, June 9). King Tut ‘was more teen dynamo than frail pharaoh.’ The Sunday Times. Retrieved June 11, 2023, from https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/c6d309ca-06ff-11ee-b1f9-dbcd37af20fb?shareToken=8d145fd9fd75ece4f9a48004aaf71812 For many years, people puzzled over King Tut’s death. Many suspected foul play. Others speculated his death was an accident. However, almost a century after his tomb was discovered in the Valley of the Kings, scientists used digital imaging and DNA testing to suggest King Tut most likely died from malaria or an infection.

King Tut’s death

Although the death mask of Tutankhamun is one of the most recognisable 'faces' of the twentieth century, it is surprisingly how little we actually know about his life that can be verified. The author uses what we do know, alongside information about life in ancient Egypt in general, to piece together what Tutankhamun's life could have been like. From his early years where even the name of his mother is not known (it is known from DNA that she was one of his father's sisters), to what actually killed him, Tutankhamun's life is mainly a mystery.

The King Tut: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh tour is expected to be the last international tour ever, before the artifacts are returned permanently to the new Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids in Egypt, which is scheduled to open in 2021. There are no surviving records of the circumstances of Tutankhamun's death; it has been the subject of considerable debate and major studies. [105] This dagger from the tomb of King Tutankhamun was made from iron from a meteorite, gold, and crystal. (more)

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Garry Shaw has done a remarkable job synthesizing everything we know and do not know about Tutankhamun. . . . Stunning color photos . . . add to the tale.”—Kelly Macguire, World History Encyclopedia Six archaeological discoveries to rival Tutankhamun's tomb". New Scientist . Retrieved 15 February 2023.

to tomb preparations and having no successor, King Tut's funeral didn't happen until 7 months after his death In 2005, Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, in partnership with Arts and Exhibitions International and the National Geographic Society, launched a tour of Tutankhamun treasures and other 18th Dynasty funerary objects, this time called Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. It featured the same exhibits as Tutankhamen: The Golden Hereafter in a slightly different format. It was expected to draw more than three million people but exceeded that with almost four million people attending just the first four tour stops. [172] The exhibition started in Los Angeles, then moved to Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Philadelphia and London before finally returning to Egypt in August 2008. An encore of the exhibition in the United States ran at the Dallas Museum of Art. [173] After Dallas the exhibition moved to the de Young Museum in San Francisco, followed by the Discovery Times Square Exposition in New York City. [174] Tutankhamun exhibition in 2018 Grand Egyptian Museum to open between October and February: Minister". Egypt Independent. 4 July 2023 . Retrieved 7 July 2023.Recent scans of the mummified remains of Tutankhamun help us to understand what he looked like when he was alive. Arnold, Dorothea; Metropolitan Museum of Art Staff; Green, L.; Allen, James P. (1996). The Royal Women of Amarna: Images of Beauty from Ancient Egypt. Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 978-0-87099-816-4. OCLC 35292712. Tutankhamun was slight of build, and roughly 167cm (5ft 6in) tall. [81] [82] CT investigations of Tutankhamun's skull revealed an excellent condition of his dentition. He had large front incisors and an overbite characteristic of the Thutmosid royal line to which he belonged. [83] Analysis of the clothing found in his tomb, particularly the dimensions of his loincloths and belts indicates that he had a narrow waist and rounded hips. [84] In attempts to explain both his unusual depiction in art and his early death it has been theorised that Tutankhamun had gynecomastia, [85] Marfan syndrome, Wilson–Turner X-linked intellectual disability syndrome, Fröhlich syndrome ( adiposogenital dystrophy), Klinefelter syndrome, [86] androgen insensitivity syndrome, aromatase excess syndrome in conjunction with sagittal craniosynostosis syndrome, Antley–Bixler syndrome or one of its variants. [87] It has also been suggested that he had inherited temporal lobe epilepsy in a bid to explain the religiosity of his great-grandfather Thutmose IV and father Akhenaten and their early deaths. [88] However, caution has been urged in this diagnosis. [89] Tutankhamun, (flourished 14th century bce), king of ancient Egypt (reigned 1333–23 bce), known chiefly for his intact tomb, KV 62 (tomb 62), discovered in the Valley of the Kings in 1922. During his reign, powerful advisers restored the traditional Egyptian religion and art, both of which had been set aside by his predecessor Akhenaten, who had led the “Amarna revolution.” ( See Amarna style.)

But what do we really know about Tut? Although many details of his reign remain lost to time, historians have spent years trying to piece together the pharaoh’s life and legacy. Here’s what they’ve learned—and the biggest questions that remain. A young Tut ascends to the throne Hawass, Zahi (2004). The Golden Age of Tutankhamun. American Univ in Cairo Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-977-424-836-8. OCLC 56358390. While some suggestions have been made that Tutankhamun's mother was Meketaten, the second daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, based on a relief from the Royal Tomb at Amarna, [b] this possibility has been deemed unlikely given that she was about 10 years old at the time of her death. [28] Another interpretation of the relief names Nefertiti as his mother. [c] [30] Meritaten has also been put forward as his mother based on a re-examination of a box lid and coronation tunic found in his tomb. [31] Tutankhamun was wet nursed by a woman named Maia, known from her tomb at Saqqara. [32] [33] Redford, Donald B. (2003). The Oxford Essential Guide to Egyptian Mythology. Berkley Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-425-19096-8.

Inside one of the chambers, murals were painted on the walls that told the story of Tutankhamun's funeral and his journey to the afterworld. Also in the room were various artifacts for his journey — oils, perfumes, toys from his childhood, precious jewelry and statues of gold and ebony.