Contents
Tutankhaten
1 Parentage Living Image of the Aten
2 Reign
3 Events after his death
4 Name
5 Cause of death Tutankhamun Hekaiunushema
5.1 2005 research and findings Living Image of Amun,
6 Discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb ruler of Upper Heliopolis
7 Tutankhamun in popular culture Horus name
7.1 Tutankhamun's appearance and controversy
7.1.1 Skin tone
7.2 Exhibitions
7.3 In fiction
8 See also Kanakht Tutmesut
The strong bull, pleasing of birth
9 References
10 Further reading Nebty name
11 External links
Neferhepusegerehtawy
One of perfect laws,
Parentage who pacifies the two lands [1]
Tutankhamun's parentage over the years was once very confusing
but now egyptologists have a pretty good idea on who his parents
were. The first theory was that he was a son of Amenhotep III and
Queen Tiye. This theory seems unlikely because Tiye living to year
Wer-Ah-Amun
14 of her son's reign would have been at least 64 years of age so Great of the palace of Amun
that would mean that she would have been too old to produce any
more offspring. Also Amenhotep III by this time would have been
dead because the last year of his reign (38) was the last year of his
life. Another theory is that Tutankhamun was the son of Smenkhkare
and Meritaten. This theory is possible but not plausible. Smenkhkare Neb-r-Djer
came on the scene when Akhenaten entered the 14th year of his Lord of all
reign and during this time Meritaten married Smenkhkare. So if
Smenkhkare is the father of Tutankhamun he would have needed a Golden Horus
three year reign or more because if it was a three year reign
Tutankhamun would have been barely seven when he came to the
throne. However, if there was lengthy co-regency between
Amenhotep III and Akhenaten, Amenhotep could definitely be Wetjeskhausehetepnetjeru
Tutankhamun's father. The most current theory is that he was the Who wears crowns and pleases the gods
son of Akhenaten and his minor wife Kiya. Queen Kiya's title was
"Greatly Beloved Wife of Akhenaten" so it is quite likely she could
have borne him an heir. Also in the tomb of Akhenaten images on the
tomb wall show that next to Kiya's death bed there stands a royal
Heqa-maat-sehetep-netjeru
fan bearer fanning what is either a princess or most likely a wet nurse
Ruler of Truth, who pleases the gods
holding a baby. So that means that the wet nurse was holding the
boy-king-to-be.
Reign
Wetjes-khau-itef-Re
During Tutankhamun's reign, Akhenaten's Amarna revolution Who wears the crowns of his father, Re
(Atenism) began to be reversed. Akhenaten had attempted to
supplant the existing priesthood and gods with a god who was until
then considered minor, Aten. In Year 3 of Tutankhamun's reign
(1331 BC), when he was still a boy of about 11 and probably under
the influence of two older advisors (notably Akhenaten's vizier Ay),
the ban on the old pantheon of gods and their temples was lifted,
the traditional privileges restored to their priesthoods, and the Wetjes-khau-Tjestawy-Im
capital moved back to Thebes. The young pharaoh also adopted the Who wears crowns, and binds the two lands therein
name Tutankhamun, changing it from his birth name Tutankhaten.
Because of his age at the time these decisions were made, it is Consort(s) Ankhesenamen
generally thought that most if not all the responsibility for them falls Burial KV62
on his vizier Ay and perhaps other advisors. Also, King Tutankhamun
restored all the old gods and brought order to the chaos that his
relative had caused. He built many temples devoted to the true sun god, Amun-Ra. It appears that on Tutankhamun's
wooden box (pictured above) depicts him going to war against Hittites and Nubians suggesting that possibly that in the
last few years of his reign that he went to war that possibly that he died going to war (as explained three sections below).
Name
Under Atenism, Tutankhamun was named Tutankhaten, which in Egyptian hieroglyphs is:
At the reintroduction of the old pantheon, his name was changed. It is transliterated as twt-ˁnḫ-ỉmn ḥq3-ỉwnw-šmˁ, and
often realized as Tutankhamun Hekaiunushema, meaning "Living image of Amun, ruler of Upper Heliopolis". On his ascension
to the throne, Tutankhamun took a praenomen. This is translated as nb-ḫprw-rˁ, and realized as Nebkheperure, meaning
"Lord of the forms of Re". The name Nibhurrereya in the Amarna letters may be a variation of this praenomen.
Tutankhamun's nomen (left) or
birth name and praenomen or
throne name.
Cause of death
For a long time the cause of Tutankhamun's death was unknown, and was the root of much speculation. How old was the king when he died? Did he suffer from
any physical abnormalities? Had he been murdered? Many of these questions were finally answered in early 2005 when the results of a set of CT scans on the
mummy were released.
The body was originally inspected by Howard Carter’s team in the early 1920s, though they were primarily interested in recovering the jewelry and amulets from
the body. To remove the objects from the body, which in many cases were stuck fast by the hardened embalming resins used, Carter's team cut up the mummy
into various pieces: the arms and legs were detached, the torso cut in half and the head was severed. Hot knives were used to remove it from the golden mask to
which it was cemented by resin. Since the body was placed back in its sarcophagus in 1926, the mummy has subsequently been X-rayed three times: first in
1968 by a group from the University of Liverpool, then in 1978 by a group from the University of Michigan and finally in 2005 a team of Egyptian scientists led by
Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities Dr. Zahi Hawass conducted a CT scan on the mummy.
X-rays of his mummy, which were taken previously, in 1968, had revealed a dense spot at the lower back of the skull. This had been interpreted as a chronic
subdural hematoma, which would have been caused by a blow. Such an injury could have been the result of an accident, but it had also been suggested that the
young pharaoh was murdered. If this is the case, there are a number of theories as to who was responsible: one popular candidate was his immediate successor Ay
(other candidates included his wife and chariot-driver). Interestingly, there are seemingly signs of calcification within the supposed injury, which if true meant
Tutankhamun lived for a fairly extensive period of time (on the order of several months) after the injury was inflicted [3] .
Much confusion had been caused by a small loose sliver of bone within the upper cranial cavity, which was discovered from the same X-ray analysis. Some people
have suggested this visible bone fragment for the supposed head injury. In fact, since Tutankhamun's brain was removed post mortem in the mummification
process, and considerable quantities of now-hardened resin introduced into the skull on at least two separate occasions after that, had the fragment resulted
from a pre-mortem injury, some scolars say, it almost certainly would not still be loose in the cranial cavity. But other scientists suggested, that the loose sliver
of bone was loosened by the embalmers during mummification, but it had been broken before. A blow to the back of the head (rather from a fall or an actual blow),
caused the brain to move forward, hitting the front of the skull, breaking small peices of the bone right above the eyes[4] .
Much was learned about the young king's life. His age at death was estimated at 19 years, based on physical
developments that set upper and lower limits to his age. The king had been in general good health, and there
were no signs of any major infectious disease or malnutrition during childhood. He was slight of build, and was
roughly 170 cm (5'7") tall. He had large front incisor teeth and the overbite characteristic of the rest of the
Thutmosid line of kings to which he belonged. He also had a pronounced dolichocephalic (elongated) skull,
though it was within normal bounds and highly unlikely to have been pathologic in cause. Given the fact that
many of the royal depictions of Akhenaten (possibly his father, certainly a relation), often featured an elongated
head, it is likely an exaggeration of a family trait, rather than a distinct abnormality more typical of a condition
like Marfan's syndrome, as had been suggested. A slight bend to his spine was also found, but the scientists
agreed that there was no associated evidence to suggest that it was pathological in nature, and that it was
much more likely to have been caused during the embalming process. This ended speculation based on the
previous X-rays that Tutanhkamun had suffered from scoliosis.
The 2005 conclusion by a team of Egyptian scientists, based on the CT scan findings, confirmed that
Tutankhamun died of a swift attack of gangrene after breaking his leg. After consultations with Italian and Swiss
experts, the Egyptian scientists found that the fracture in Tutankhamun's left leg most likely occurred only days
before his death, which had then become gangrenous and led directly to his death. The fracture was not
sustained during the mummification process or as a result of some damage to the mummy as claimed by Howard
Carter. The Egyptian scientists have also found no evidence that he had been struck in the head and no other
indication he was killed, as had been previously speculated. Further investigation of the fracture led to the
conclusion that it was severe, most likely caused by a fall from some height - possibly a riding accident due to
the absence of pelvis injuries -, and may have been fatal within hours[1]
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,1958654,00.html) .
Tutankhamun coffinette
Despite the relatively poor condition of the mummy, the Egyptian team found evidence that great care had
been given to the body of Tutankhamun during the embalming process. They found five distinct embalming
materials, which were applied to the body at various stages of the mummification process. This counters previous assertions that the king’s body had been
prepared carelessly and in a hurry. In November 2006, at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, Egyptian radiologists stated that that
CT images and scans of the king's mummy revealed Tutankhamun's height to be 180 centimetres or 5 feet and 9 inches tall.[2]
(http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-11/rson-rat112206.php)
Discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb
Tutankhamun seems to have faded from public consciousness in ancient Egypt within a short
time after his death, and he remained virtually unknown until the early 20th century. His tomb
was robbed at least twice in antiquity, but based on the items taken (including perishable oils
and perfumes) and the evidence of restoration of the tomb after the intrusions, it seems clear
that these robberies took place within several months at most of the burial itself.
Subsequently, the location of the tomb was lost because it had come to be buried by stone
chips from subsequent tombs, either dumped there or washed there by floods. In the years
that followed, some workers huts were built over the tomb entrance, clearly not knowing what
lay beneath. When at the end of the 20th dynasty the Valley of the Kings burials were
systematically dismantled, the burial of King Tut was overlooked, presumably because it has
been lost and even his name may have been forgotten.
In 1907, just before his discovery of the tomb of Horemheb, Theodore M. Davis's team
uncovered a small site containing funerary artifacts with Tutankhamun's name. Assuming that
the site was Tutankhamun's complete tomb, Davis concluded the dig. The details of both
findings are documented in Davis's 1912 publication, The Tombs of Harmhabi and
Touatânkhamanou; the book closes with the comment, "I fear that the Valley of Kings is now
exhausted." But Davis was to be proven spectacularly wrong.
For many years, rumors of a "curse" (probably fueled by newspapers at the time of the discovery) persisted, emphasizing the early death of some of those who
had first entered the tomb. However, a recent study of journals and death records indicates no statistical difference between the age of death of those who
entered the tomb and those on the expedition who did not. Indeed, most lived past 70.
Some of the treasures in Tutankhamun's tomb are noted for their apparent departure from traditional depictions of the boy king. Certain cartouches where the
king's name should appear have been altered, as if to usurp the property of a previous pharaoh. However, this may simply be the product of "updating" the
artifacts to reflect the shift from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun. Other differences are less easy to dispense, such as the older, more angular facial features of the
middle coffin and canopic coffinettes. The most widely accepted theory for these latter variations is that the items were originally intended for Smenkhkare, who
may or may not be the mysterious KV55 mummy. Said mummy, according to craniological examinations, bears a striking first-order (father-to-son, brother-to-
brother) relationship to Tutankhamun's.
Perhaps we will never know what exactly happened to him in a cold winter day in year 1325 BC (based on the types of flowers found in his tomb, it can be assumed
that he was interred on March/April, so he would have died between 70-90 days before that, as that much time is required for mummification and other related
funeral processes). The most likely reason could be the injuries from a chariot accident.
The major contribution of the boy king could easily be his hastily-prepared tomb, resulting from his untimely death. The spectacular discovery, the sheer size of
wealth uncovered, the beautiful artifacts that depicted the love and affection between the ill-fated young royal couple and the flowers placed on the golden mask
of the mummy—about which Carter wrote that he would like to imagine them as placed by Ankhesenamun just before the closing of the casket—the list can be
endless. All these fueled the imagination of the global public and raised interest in ancient Egypt and its culture to an unprecedented level throughout the world.
In 2005, three teams of scientists (Egyptian, French and American), in partnership with the National Geographic Society,
developed a new facial likeness of Tutankhamun. The Egyptian team worked from 1,700 three-dimensional CT scans of the
pharaoh's skull. The French and American teams worked plastic molds created from these – but the Americans were never
told whom they were reconstructing. [7] All three teams created silicon busts of their interpretation of what the young
monarch looked like.
Skin tone
Though modern technology can reconstruct Tutankhamun's facial structure with a high degree of accuracy based on CT
data from his mummy, correctly determining his skin tone is impossible. The problem is not a lack of skill on the part of
Ancient Egyptians. Egyptian artisans distinguished accurately among different ethnicities, but sometimes depicted their
subjects in totally unreal colors, the purposes for which aren't completely understood. Thus no absolute consensus on King
Tut's skin tone is possible.
Terry Garcia, National Geographic's executive vice president for mission programs, said, in response to some protestors of
the King Tut reconstruction:
The big variable is skin tone. North Africans, we know today, had a range of skin tones, from light to dark. In this case,
The controversial rendering of
we selected a medium skin tone, and we say, quite up front, 'This is midrange.' We'll never know for sure what his Tutankhamun exhibiting hazel
exact skin tone was or the color of his eyes with 100 percent certainty. ... Maybe in the future, people will come to a
Tutankhamun exhibiting hazel
exact skin tone was or the color of his eyes with 100 percent certainty. ... Maybe in the future, people will come to a eyes and a "mid-range" skin
different conclusion. [8] tone, as shown on the cover of
National Geographic in 2005.
Exhibitions
The splendors of Tutankhamun's tomb are among the most traveled artifacts in the world. They have been to many countries, but probably the best-known
exhibition tour, attended by more than eight million people in the United States alone, was Treasures of Tutankhamun, organized by the Metropolitan Museum of
Art from 17 November, 1976 through 15 March, 1977 (and extended by other galleries until 1979).
"...55 objects from the tomb of Tutankhamun included the boy-king's solid gold funeral mask, a gilded wood figure of the goddess Selket, lamps, jars,
jewelry, furniture, and other objects for the afterlife. This exhibition established the term 'blockbuster.' A combination of the age-old fascination with
ancient Egypt, the legendary allure of gold and precious stones, and the funeral trappings of the boy-king created an immense popular response. Visitors
waited up to 8 hours before the building opened to view the exhibition. At times the line completely encircled the West Building." [9]
In 2005, hoping to inspire a whole new generation, Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, in partnership with Arts and Exhibitions International and the National
Geographic Society, launched a new American tour of Tutankhamun's treasures, this time called "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs." It was
expected to draw more than three million people.[10] The exhibition started in Los Angeles, California, then moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and is currently at
Chicago, and will move on to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and London, England before finally returning to Egypt in early 2008.
Some attendees of the current exhibit have been disappointed in the show, and accused the exhibitors of using false or misleading advertising regarding the
contents of the exhibit. The exhibit is marketed around Tutankhamun, but more than half of the artifacts are from the reigns of Tutankhamun's immediate
predecessors in the 18th dynasty. Also, the advertising for the exhibit centers on an image in gold of the face of Tutankhamun, strongly reminiscent of his
famous death mask, which is not in the exhibit. In reality the image is a close-up photograph of a miniature coffin which held the king's liver. The item is labeled in
most of the advertising as a "canopic coffinette" or "miniature coffin", but viewers have complained about feeling misled. [11][12][13]
In fiction
Tutankhamun/Tutankhaten appears in P.C. Doherty's trilogy of Ancient Egyptian novels, An Evil Spirit Out of the West (2003), The Season of the Hyaena (2005)
and The Year of the Cobra (2005).
Tutankhamun is also the major character in a series of historical novels by the American author Lynda Robinson.
See also
Racial characteristics of ancient Egyptians
Marfan's syndrome
References
1 . ^ Digital Egypt for Universities: Tutankhamun (http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/chronology/tutankhamun.html) . University College London. Retrieved on 2006-08-
05.
2 . ^ Allen, James P. (2006). “The Amarna Succession (http://history.memphis.edu/murnane/Allen%20-%20Amarna%20Succession.pdf) ”, Causing His Name to Live:
Studies in Egyptian Epigraphy and History in Memory of William J. Murnane (http://history.memphis.edu/murnane/) (Online publication in PDF), Memphis, TN: University of
Memphis, pp. 7, 12-14. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
3 . ^ Bob Brier,The Murder of Tutankhamen: A True Story ,1999
4 . ^ Michael R. King,Gregory M.Cooper,Who Killed King Tut?: Using Modern Forensics to Solve a 3300-Year-Old Mystery,2004
5 . ^ Handwerk, Brian. "King Tut Not Murdered Violently, CT Scans Show (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/03/0308_050308_kingtutmurder.html) ",
National Geographic News, March 8, 2005, p. 2. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
6 . ^ Welcome to Senet (http://www.humanities-interactive.org/ancient/tut/senet/index.html) . Texas Humanities Resource Center (December 17, 2004). Retrieved
on 2006-08-05.
7 . ^ Handwerk, Brian. "King Tut's New Face: Behind the Forensic Reconstruction
(http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/05/0511_050511_kingtutface.html) ", National Geographic News, May 11, 2005. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
8 . ^ Henerson, Evan. "King Tut's skin color a topic of controversy (http://u.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,211~23523~2921859,00.html) ", U-Daily News - L.A. Life,
June 15, 2005. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
9 . ^ NGA - Treasures of Tutankhamun (11/1976) (http://www.nga.gov/past/data/exh410.shtm) . National Gallery of Art. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
10 . ^ King Tut exhibition. Tutankhamun & the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. Treasures from the Valley of the Kings (http://www.kingtut.org/exhibition.htm) . Arts and
Exhibitions International. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
11 . ^ Coyne, Jason. Review of King Tut (Tutankhamun) Exhibit in Chicago at the Field Museum- Underwhelming and misadvertised - Where is the death mask?
(http://geekswithblogs.net/gaijin42/archive/2006/07/10/king_tut_tutankhamun_tutankamun_tutankhamun_chicago_mask_field_museum_egypt_exhibit.aspx)
(Blog post). Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
12 . ^ Chicago: Field Museum: Traveler Reviews (http://chicago-hotels.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g35805-d103999-j1-Field_Museum-Chicago_Illinois.html) .
TripAdvisor LLC (August 3, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
13 . ^ Chicago: Field Museum: Traveler Reviews (http://chicago-hotels.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g35805-d103999-r5373402-Field_Museum-
Chicago_Illinois.html) . TripAdvisor LLC (June 21, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
Further reading
Howard Carter, Arthur C. Mace, The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen (http://print.google.com/print?id=33DlqSlxNWkC) . Courier Dover Publications,
June 1, 1977, ISBN 0-486-23500-9 The semi-popular account of the discover and opening of the tomb written by the archaeologist responsible
C. Nicholas Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun: The King, the Tomb, the Royal Treasure. London: Thames & Hudson, November 1, 1990, ISBN 0-500-
05058-9 (hardcover)/ISBN 0-500-27810-5 (paperback) Fully covers the complete contents of his tomb
T. G. H. James, Tutankhamun. New York: Friedman/Fairfax, September 1, 2000, ISBN 1-58663-032-6 (hardcover) A large-format volume by the former
Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum, filled with colour illustrations of the funerary furnishings of Tutankhamun, and related objects
Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, Sarwat Okasha (Preface), Tutankhamen: Life and Death of a Pharaoh. New York: New York Graphic Society, 1963, ISBN
0-8212-0151-4 (1976 reprint, hardcover) /ISBN 0-14-011665-6 (1990 reprint, paperback)
Thomas Hoving, The search for Tutankhamun: The untold story of adventure and intrigue surrounding the greatest modern archeological find. New York: Simon
& Schuster, October 15, 1978, ISBN 0-671-24305-5 (hardcover)/ISBN 0-8154-1186-3 (paperback) This book details a number of interesting anecdotes
& Schuster, October 15, 1978, ISBN 0-671-24305-5 (hardcover)/ISBN 0-8154-1186-3 (paperback) This book details a number of interesting anecdotes
about the discovery and excavation of the tomb
Bob Brier, The Murder of Tutankhamen: A True Story. Putnam Adult, April 13, 1998, ISBN 0-425-16689-9 (paperback)/ISBN 0-399-14383-1
(hardcover)/ISBN 0-613-28967-6 (School & Library Binding)
Iorwerth Eiddon Stephen Edwards, Treasures of Tutankhamun. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1976, ISBN 0-345-27349-4 (paperback)/ISBN 0-
670-72723-7 (hardcover)
Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, The Mummy of Tutankhamun: the CT Scan Report, as printed in Ancient Egypt, June/July 2005.
Michael Haag, "The Rough Guide to Tutankhamun: The King: The Treasure: The Dynasty". London 2005. ISBN 1-84353-554-8.
John Andritsos, Social Studies of ancient egypt: Tutankhamun. Australia 2006
External links
End Paper: A New Take on Tut's Parents (http://www.egyptology.com/kmt/fall97/endpaper.html) by Dennis Forbes (KMT 8:3 . FALL 1997, KMT
Communications)
The mummy's curse: historical cohort study (http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/325/7378/1482) (Mark R Nelson, British Medical Journal
2002;325:1482
An Account of the Curse of King Tut's Tomb (http://www.mummytombs.com/egypt/kingtut.htm) at James M. Deem's Mummy Tombs site.
Categories: Semi-protected | Articles with unsourced statements | Pharaohs of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt | Amarna Period | Curses | Mummies | 1340s BC
births | 1324 BC deaths