Death on Swift Wings

The solid gold coffin of King Tutankhamen

It's one of the most famous faces in human history -- but not for the reasons we think.

November 4th marked the 90th anniversary of the discovery of the entrance to the tomb of King Tutankhamen (originally found in 1922). The discovery of the tomb's entrance came some 31 years after British archaeologist Howard Carter and his workmen had arrived in Egypt to begin studying the history of Ancient Egypt. When Carter arrived, many of the Egyptian rulers had already been discovered in their final resting places -- but the discovery of minor pharaoh Tut had yet to be made. 

It was on that November 4th when Carter and his men found a step leading into the tomb -- and 22 days later, Carter and his fellow archaeologist, Lord Carnarvon, entered the chambers of the tomb itself. 

It took years for the thousands of objects that Carter and his team had found in the four-room tomb to be fully recovered. But the biggest prize was undeniably the red quartzite sarcophagus of the king himself, containing layers of nesting boxes and coffins (the final coffin was made of solid gold) and, finally, the mummy of King Tutankhamen himself. The mummy was over 3,000 years old, still wearing the gold mask in which he'd been buried.

King Tut's Death Mask

King Tut instantly became a sensation. Today, many remember him as one of the greatest kings of Egypt (thanks to the golden treasures of his tomb) -- and also for the deadly Curse of the Pharaohs, known to have killed many members of those foolish enough to disturb his tomb, including Lord Carnarvon himself.

But, like many stories across history, the popularly-known facts don't have it quite right. What's more, the truth of this boy-king (he died in his late teens) is even more fascinating than the myth. 

Debunking the myth of the "King Tut Curse" is simple enough. Lord Carnarvon came to Egypt already suffering from chronic illness, long before he entered the tomb. After his death, however, the media of the day quickly spun sensational stories heralding the mummy's curse, with false stories about mysterious inscriptions ("Death will come on swift wings whoever disturbs the pharaoh"), the death of workmen, and blackouts in Cairo. (Read more about the debunked myth here.)

But of greater interest, at least to me, is the story of King Tut himself, who is remembered as one of Egypt's most powerful and beloved pharaohs. But the truth is that Tutankhamen himself was a relatively minor pharaoh from Egyptian history. The exquisite treasures found in his tomb would actually have been standard fare for any king of Egypt; what sets Tutankhamen apart is that he was one of those few pharaohs to not have his tomb disturbed and desecrated by grave robbers.

Tutankhamen's stepmom, Queen Nefertiti

Tutankhamen was born in 1341 BCE. His father was King Akhenaten, who created an uproar during his time as pharaoh with the creation of a mostly-monotheistic new religion. In a time when Egyptian religion centered around an entire pantheon of deities (including the sun god, Ra; and the god of all creation, Amun), Akhenaten decreed a new religion, worshipping only Aten, the sun. At Akhenaten's side in this new religion was Queen Nefertiti, Akhenaten's wife -- and Tutankhamen's stepmother.

After Akhenaten died, and Tutankhamen took over as king (in 1333 BCE), Tut did his best to return the traditional deities and belief system of Egypt. He restored Thebes as the religious capital of Egypt, and Memphis as the administrative center of the kingdom (his father had moved both the administrative and religious capitals to the city of Akhetaten). Tut went so far as to change his name to Tutankhamen (he had been born "Tutankhamun").

The new king's devotion to the old ways restored the ancient religion to Egypt -- but Tutankhamen's rule was short-lived. He died around the age of 19, and went down in history as a relatively minor king ... until the twentieth century.


Find out more:

King Tut Revealed - National Geographic takes a look at the results of modern forensics and high-tech imaging on the mummy of King Tut.

A Frail King - The Ancient Egyptians viewed their royalty as gods, but most were all-too-human. Genetic testing revealed the physical weaknesses of King Tut.

The Process of Mummification!  I recommend waiting until after you've eaten to read this one.


For further reading:

Tutankhamen: The Search for an Egyptian King by Joyce Tyldesley.

Treasures of Tutankhamun published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Genesis of the Pharaohs: Dramatic New Discoveries Rewrite the Origins of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkinson.

Egyptian Art, In the Days of the Pharaohs, 3100-320 BC by Cyril Aldred.

Nefertiti: Egypt's Sun Queen by Joyce Tyldesley.



-- Post by Ms. B