The Life of King Tut
by Krysta CardinaleKing Tut was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. Born with the name Nebkheperure Tutankhaten, it has been shortened in popular culture. It is thought that the life of King Tut was to short for him to play a major role in history. The truth however, is that the boy king presided over one of the most critical periods of his country’s past. As king, he faced an agonizing decision, to champion his father’s ideas or to steer Egypt back to normality.
The Reign of Ancient Egypt King Tutankhamun
Nebkheperure Tutankhaten was named pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. He was only nine years old and ruled Egypt for a decade. Tutankhaten’s parents are a mystery. Many think he was Akhenaten’s (a previous pharaoh) only son, born to a lesser wife. Tut ruled from 1333-1323 BC, known as the period of the “New Kingdom.”
In Ancient Egypt, King Tut was appointed a vizier to help with the responsibilities because of his young age. The vizier was a close relative and next in line for the throne. His vizier was the father of Nefertiti, the officer Ay. Ay was a former ally of Akhenaten, and was responsible for the affairs of the state.
During his reign in Ancient Egypt, King Tut began to reverse the doings of Akhenaten. When Akhenaten ruled he established a new god, Aten, who previously was only a minor god. This replaced and banned the old priesthood and gods. Three years into his reign, Tut lifted the ban and restored the traditional priesthoods and temples.
Tutankhaten was married to Ankhesenpaaten. After he had restored Egypt to its traditional roots, Tut and his wife changed the ending of their names to “amun.” His previous name, Tutankhaten, meant the living image of the sun disk. The new adopted name, Tutankhamun, mean the living image of Amun (the Egyptian god of wind).
King Tut’s Death
Ay was due to hand over the affairs of the state to Tutankhamun once he came of age. Instead, the life of King Tut met a premature death at the age of 18. The cause of King Tut’s death is a mystery but there are theories of foul play. One of the most sinister theory points the finger directly at Ay. The reason that makes King Tut’s death so interesting is that when he finally comes of age to entertain his own ideas as to how things should be, this is when he disappears.
The former vizier, Ay, exceeded to the thrown of Egypt. Tutankhamun’s death proved to be a watershed. Pharaoh after pharaoh completely obliterated the memory of Akhenaten and his heresy. The whole city of Akhenaten was dismantled stone block by stone block, leaving only the mud brick inner walls.
Discovery of the Ancient Egypt, King Tut’s Tomb
The life of King Tut did not come into fame until the discovery of his tomb just over 80 years ago. On November 4, 1922 Howard Carter, and English Egyptologist, came across the tomb of the Ancient Egypt King Tutankhamun. He found it in the Valley of Kings near the entrance of the tomb of Ramsey VI. On November 26th the tomb was entered. It revealed much of the King Tut information we know today. His tomb revealed treasures and jewels that remain the most spectacular of all the tombs ever found in the Valley of Kings.
In more recent years, there have been head scans to put a better face to the now infamous King Tut. Information from these scans led to a more exact picture of what the ancient pharaoh looked like. The skin color has been determined as a medium color, but it is not definite since people from northern Africa range from light to dark skin tones. Other interesting King Tut information revealed from that he suffered from a blow to the back lower portion of his skull. This supports the theory that the young pharaoh was murdered.
An ancient tomb was discovered about 15 years earlier than King Tut’s. Ancient Egyptians must have thought they’d heard the last of Akhenaten, but in 1907 excavators stumbled upon a strange royal tomb. It was found in Luxor, the Valley of the Kings, strewn with broken furniture. Tomb 55, as it has become known, dated back to Tut’s reign so it had to have been a family relative. The coffin was moved to the Cairo Museum, but it was impossible to tell who it belonged to. The mask had been torn off, and the name chiseled out. DNA test were not allowed, but Dr. Nasri Iskander led a team of forensic experts and compared x-rays. He compared the x-ray of Tut’s skull to the mystery skull revealing that it was a first degree relationship, meaning it was either a father or a brother. A recent assessment of the teeth revealed the death age to be between 34 and 40, leading many to think it was Akhenaten.
King Tut Curse
The King Tut curse was a result of a media frenzy. Apparently, when Carter explored the tomb his hieroglyphics translator, Alan Gardiner came across a phrase that read, “Death will slay with his wings whoever disturbs the peace of the pharaoh.” There were similar threats of death written throughout the tomb. This supposed King Tut information was never actually proven. The King Tut curse only scared away a few local workers. The hard facts include of the 26 people who were there at the opening of the tomb, six died. The 10 people that were there at the unwrapping of Tut’s mummy none had died. Both Carter and Gardiner, who apparently discovered this curse, died at the ages of 64, and 84 as old men.
