Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun, also called King Tut, was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt. He ruled around 1332–1323 BC. He was born Tutankhaten and became king when he was about nine or ten years old. One of his important jobs was to bring back the old ways of the ancient Egyptian religion. He helped people worship many gods again, especially the god Amun. He also moved the royal court back to the city of Memphis.

Tutankhamun died when he was about eighteen years old. After his death, a man named Ay became king, and later Horemheb became king.

In 1922, a team led by Howard Carter found Tutankhamun's tomb. Even though some treasure was missing, many beautiful items were still inside. There were over 5,000 artifacts. The most famous item is Tutankhamun's mask, which is kept in a museum today. The discovery made people very excited about ancient Egypt.

Family

See also: Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt family tree

Tutankhamun was born when Akhenaten ruled, during a time called the Amarna Period in the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. His birth name was Tutankhaten, meaning "living image of Aten."

We do not know who his parents were, but he was a prince. He might have been the son of Akhenaten or his co-ruler Smenkhkare. Some think his mother could have been Nefertiti, Beketaten, or one of Akhenaten's daughters, Meritaten or Meketaten. He was cared for by a woman named Maia.

When he became king, Tutankhamun married Ankhesenpaaten, one of Akhenaten's daughters, who later changed her name to Ankhesenamun.

Reign

Tutankhamun became pharaoh when he was about 8 or 9 years old, after Smenkhkare and Neferneferuaten. He used the throne name Nebkheperure and ruled for about nine years.

During his time, the job of Vizier was split between Upper and Lower Egypt. The main vizier for Upper Egypt was Usermontu. Another vizier named Pentju is known, but we do not know which lands he oversaw. It is unclear if Ay, Tutankhamun's successor, held this job. Some signs suggest Ay may have had a special religious title.

An Egyptian priest named Manetho wrote about old Egypt, mentioning a king named Orus who ruled for 36 years. Researchers discuss which historical figures match these names, with some linking Orus to Horemheb and Tutankhamun to Rathotis.

Religiopolitical countermand

See also: Atenism

Tutankhamun's rule began while the royal court was still at Amarna, but efforts were made to return to traditional religious ways. By his third year, he stopped the worship of the god Aten and brought back the god Amun to an important place. He changed his name to "Tutankhamun" and his queen's name to "Ankhesenamun." He helped the priests of Amun and worked to fix old temples damaged during a earlier religious change. His rule became a time of restoring ancient Egyptian traditions.

Tutankhamun's treasurer, Maya, helped carry out these plans. In his own writing, Maya said he followed the king's orders to improve the temples and make images of the gods.

Architectural projects

To restore traditional practices, Tutankhamun began building projects, especially at Karnak in Thebes. He built a path of sphinxes to the temple of Mut. He also added decorations to a temple entrance started by Amenhotep III. Tutankhamun gave resources to support the priests of Amun and Ptah, making new statues of gods and beautiful religious objects.

Military campaigns

After the weak rule of Akhenaten, Tutankhamun worked to improve Egypt's ties with other lands. Gifts from many countries found in his tomb show his efforts succeeded. Even so, Egypt still had battles with people from Nubia and nearby areas, but these were wins for Egypt.

During-life deification

In ancient Egypt, pharaohs were usually honored as gods after they died, but Tutankhamun was one of the few honored this way while still alive. Proof of this includes temples built for him in Nubia and special stones made for him. These show that people treated Tutankhamun almost like a god during his rule.

Personal life

Health

Tutankhamun's health and early death are still being studied. Scientists looked at his mummy using CT scans and genetic testing. They found he had a malarial infection and a leg fracture. Many walking sticks were found in his tomb, but it is not clear why they were there.

Malaria

Malaria was common in ancient Egypt because of the Nile Delta. Tests on Tutankhamun's mummy showed he had malaria, which may have affected his health.

Leg fracture

A CT scan showed Tutankhamun had a serious break in his left leg. This injury happened before he died and may have helped cause his death, maybe made worse by malaria.

Speculated podiatric diagnoses

Some think Tutankhamun might have had foot problems, like flat feet. The walking sticks found in his tomb made people wonder if he needed them to walk. But studies show the sticks did not look used, so they were probably for ceremonies.

Misdiagnoses

At first, people thought Tutankhamun had many different health problems. But more testing showed these ideas were wrong.

Other speculated diagnoses

Other health issues were suggested to explain how he looked in art and why he died young. But there was not enough proof for these ideas. Some researchers thought he might have had a small scoliosis, but this was not certain.

Physical appearance

People are still interested in what Tutankhamun looked like. He was thin and taller than most people at his time. Studies of his clothes gave some clues about his body, but there was not much proof from his bones.

Facial appearance

Trying to guess what Tutankhamun's face looked like has caused many debates. Different studies gave different answers, leading to talks about skin color and how he was shown.

Full-body reconstruction

In 2014, a documentary showed a computer image of Tutankhamun's body using CT scans. This image showed some physical traits but was criticized for being too dramatic and not based on strong science.

Ancestral genotyping

A study of Tutankhamun's DNA showed information about his family history. His DNA showed links to people from the Near East and sub-Saharan Africa. More studies of royal mummies suggest strong ties to sub-Saharan African groups, but these results are still being studied by scientists.

Death

We do not know exactly how Tutankhamun died. Some think his health was weak, and he might have gotten very sick or hurt himself. Others have looked at his remains but did not find clear signs that he was killed.

Funeral

After Tutankhamun died, there was a funeral. We know this because of the flowers used, which show it was in early spring. A man named Nahktmin, who was a general, gave gifts for the funeral. Another pharaoh, Ay, performed a special ritual for Tutankhamun, showing that he was already the new ruler by then.

Mortuary cult

It was common for pharaohs to be remembered and honored after they died. There is evidence that people did this for Tutankhamun. Some statues that may have been made for his temple were later used by another pharaoh, Ay. However, the temple where Tutankhamun was honored may have been destroyed later.

Succession

Tutankhamun's time as ruler ended in unclear ways. After he died, there was no clear next ruler. Tutankhamun's children did not survive, and he was the last of his royal brothers. Horemheb was named as the likely successor, but Queen Ankhesenamun might have wanted to marry someone of royal status, which Horemheb was not.

After Tutankhamun's death, the vizier Ay may have taken steps to become pharaoh himself. Ay ruled for a short time and tried to name his son Nakhtmin as the next ruler, but Nakhtmin died before he could take the throne. Another man named Nay was also chosen but died too.

Eventually, Horemheb became pharaoh. He finished the work Tutankhamun had started to restore the old ways of Egyptian religion. Horemheb chose Ramesses I to be his successor, and Ramesses II, Ramesses I’s grandson, started the Ramesside dynasty and became one of Egypt’s greatest rulers.

Tomb

Main article: Tomb of Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun was buried in a smaller tomb than other pharaohs. This might be because he died suddenly. His tomb was robbed long ago, but many valuable items were still there when it was found.

Rediscovery

Main article: Discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun

The tomb was found in 1922 by Howard Carter. It had been hidden by dirt and old buildings. When Carter found the tomb, many items were still inside, including a famous golden mask.

Contents

Main article: Mask of Tutankhamun

See also: Tutankhamun's mummy

Tutankhamun's tomb is special because it was found almost exactly as it was left. Inside were over 5,000 items, such as a golden coffin, a golden mask, chairs, bows, and clothes. These items help us learn about life in ancient Egypt.

Rumoured curse

For many years, people talked about a "curse" linked to the tomb. However, most of the people who entered the tomb lived for many more years after the discovery.

Legacy

Tutankhamun became famous because his tomb was found almost perfectly preserved. Before that, he was not very well-known.

His treasures have traveled all over the world, and many people have seen them. Exhibitions of Tutankhamun's artifacts began in 1962 and have been shown in many countries. These exhibitions have helped people learn about ancient Egypt. Even today, his treasures still attract visitors from everywhere.

Main article: Exhibitions of artifacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun

Family tree

The family tree here shows us how Tutankhamun was connected to other kings and queens in ancient Egypt. It is based on the idea that the body in tomb KV55 was that of Akhenaten. This helps us see the family links of Tutankhamun and the people around him.