Tutankhamun alternatively spelled with Tutenkh-, -amen, -amon) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty (ruled c. 1332–1323 BC in the conventional chronology), during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom or sometimes the New Empire Period.

1. MadeBy:
SugyaniKaran,
XI-B

2. CONTENT
. 1. EarlyLife
2. Boy kinginpower
3. Healthandappearance
4. FamilyofKingTut
5. Reign
6. Discoveryoftomb
7. Thecurseof themummy
8. DeathofKingTut
9. VariousreasonsbehindKing
Tut’sdeath
10. Treasures
11. Summary- DiscoveringTut:
TheSaga Continues

3. Tutankhamun was born circa 1341 B.C.E. and given the name
Tutankhaten, meaning "the living image of Aten." At this time, ancient Egypt was going through
great social and political upheaval. He is colloquially referred to as King Tut. Tutankhaten's father
had forbidden the worship of many gods in favor of worshiping one, Aten, the sun disk. For this,
he is known as the "heretic king." Historians differ on how extensive the change from polytheism
to monotheism was, or whether Akhenaten was only attempting to elevate Aten above the other
gods. It does seem, however, that his intent was to reduce the power of the priests and shift the
traditional temple-based economy to a new regime run by local government administrators and
military commanders.
As the populace was forced to honor Aten, the religious conversion threw the society into
chaos. The capital was changed from Thebes to Armana, and Akhenaten put all of his efforts into
the religious transition, neglecting domestic and foreign affairs. As the power struggle between old
and new intensified, Akhenaten became more autocratic and his regime more corrupt.

4. Following a 17-year reign,
he was gone, probably forced to abdicate,
and died soon after. His 9-year-old son,
Tutankhaten, took over around 1332
B.C.E.
The 1922 discovery by Howard Carter and George Herbert,
5th Earl of Carnarvon of Tutankhamun's nearly intact tomb received worldwide press coverage. It
sparked a renewed public interest in ancient Egypt, for which Tutankhamun's burial mask, now in
Cairo Museum, remains the popular symbol. Exhibits of artifacts from his tomb have toured the
world. In February 2010, the results of DNA tests confirmed that he was the son of Akhenaten
(mummy KV55) and Akhenaten's sister and wife (mummy KV35YL), whose name is unknown but
whose remains are positively identified as "The Younger Lady" mummy found in KV35.

5. Tutankhamun was the son of Akhenaten (formerly Amenhotep IV) and one of
Akhenaten's sisters,[9or perhaps one of his cousins. As a prince he was known as Tutankhaten. He
ascended to the throne in 1333 BC, at the age of nine or ten, taking the throne name Nebkheperure.
His wet-nurse was a woman called Maia, known from her tomb at Saqqara. A teacher was most
likely Sennedjem.
When he became king,
he married his half-sister, Ankhesenpaaten,
who later changed her name to
Ankhesenamun.
They had two daughters, both stillborn.
Computed tomography studies released in
2011 revealed that one daughter died at
5–6 months of pregnancy and the other at
9 months of pregnancy. No evidence was
found in either mummy of congenital
anomalies or an apparent cause of death.

6. Foreign policy
had also been neglected during Akhenaten's reign, and Tutankhamun sought to restore better
relations with ancient Egypt's neighbors. While there is some evidence to suggest that
Tutankhamun's diplomacy was successful, during his reign, battles took place between Egypt and
the Nubians and Asiatics over territory and control of trade routes. Tutankhamun was trained in
the military, and there is some evidence that he was good at archery. However, it is unlikely that he
saw any military action.
Internally,
Tutankhamun sought to restore the old order, in the hope
that the gods would once again look favorably on Egypt.
He ordered the repair of the holy sites and continued
construction at the temple of Karnak. He also oversaw the
completion of the red granite lions at Soleb.

7. Tutankhamun was slight of build, and was roughly
180 cm (5 ft 11 in) tall. He had large front incisors and the overbite
characteristic of the Thutmosidroyal line to which he belonged. Between
September 2007 and October 2009, various mummies were subjected to
detailed anthropological, radiological, and genetic studies as part of the King
Tutankhamun Family Project. The research also showed that Tutankhamun
had "a slightly cleft palate" and possibly a mild case of scoliosis, a medical
condition in which the spine is curved from side to side. Examination of King
Tut's body has revealed previously unknown deformations in the king's left
foot, caused by necrosis of bone tissue. The painful affliction forced King Tut
to walk with the use of a cane, many of which were found in his tomb,
however it would not have been a life-threatening affliction.

8. In DNA test's of
King Tut's mummy, scientists found DNA from the mosquito-
borne parasite that causes malaria tropica, the most virulent
and deadly form of the disease, in the pharaoh's body, This is
currently the oldest known genetic proof of the disease.
Interestingly, more than one strain of the malaria parasite was found,
indicating that King Tut caught multiple malarial infections during his lifetime. "The malaria
would have weakened King Tut's immune system and interfered with the healing of his foot.
These factors, combined with the fracture in his left thighbone, which scientists had
discovered in 2005, may have ultimately been what killed the young king"

10. The family of King Tut include some the most famous characters
in Ancient Egyptian history. Their lives are surrounded with chaotic and revolutionary
changes in Egypt. Murder, mystery and intrigue touch the lives of the family of King Tut - his
father, the heretic King Akhenaten, his stepmother Nefertiti who mysteriously disappeared, his
Grand Vizier Ay who was also the father of Nefertiti and the grandfather of Ankhesenpaaten,
the wife of Tutankhamun. Ankhesenpaaten was forced to marry her grandfather when
Tutankhamun died. She also died in mysterious circumstances.
There was considerable inter-marriage in the family of King Tut. Incest was
seen as an acceptable element in the lives of the Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, retaining the
sacred bloodline. The Ancient Egyptian creation myth attempts to explain how some of the
major Egyptian Gods and Goddesses came into being, their relationships with each other and
the nature and genesis of the universe. The pharaohs were seen as living deities so it was
deemed as perfectly acceptable for them to emulate the incestuous behavior of the gods.

11. Akhenaten, the father of King Tut, began a religious revolution when he forced
the Egyptians to change from a polytheistic religion, worshipping many gods, to a monotheistic
religion which was the worship of one god who was called the Aten. His father was generally
hated. Akhenaten used the force of the Egyptian army to enforce these ideas on the people of Egypt and
destroy the old religion and its priesthood. The entire population of Thebes were moved to the new city
of Armana which Akhenaten had built as his new capital. Businesses were ruined. The traditional
temple-based economy, run by the priests, had been replaced by the new regime, run by local
administrators and military commanders. It is believed that Akhenaten was forced to abdicate and died
shortly after.
Nerfertiti, the step
mother of King Tut
Nefertiti, the step mother of King Tut,
fully supported Akhenaten in the establishment of the
new religion. All reference to Nefertiti disappeared
towards the end of the reign of Akhenaten. But there is
speculation that it was Nefertiti who assumed the sole role
as the Pharaoh referred to as Smenkhkare
Ankhetkheperure.

12. Kiya was one of the wives of
the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. Little is known about her,
and her actions and roles are poorly documented in the
historical record. Surviving evidence demonstrates that Kiya was
an important figure at Akhenaten’s court during the middle
years of his reign, when she bore him a daughter. She
disappears from history a few years before her royal husband’s
death. In previous years, she was thought to be mother
of Tutankhamun, but recent DNA evidence suggests this is
unlikely.
In 2010 DNA testing confirmed a mummy found in the
tomb of Amenhotep II was Queen Tiye, the chief wife of
Amenhotep III, mother of Pharaoh Akhenanten, and
Tutankhamun's grandmother . A third mummy, thought to be
one of Pharaoh Akhenaten wives, was found to be a likely
candidate as Tutankhamun's mother, but DNA evidence
showed it was Akhenaten's sister.

13. Ankhesenpaaten
was the wife and half sister of King Tut, the daughter of
Pharaoh Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti and the
granddaughter of Ay. Following the untimely death of
Tutankhamun Ankhesenpaaten was told that she was
expected to marry her grandfather, Ay. A political move
to strengthen the claim of Ay to the throne. A document
has been discovered which was sent to the Hittites stating
the following:
"My husband has died and I have no son.
They say about you that you have many sons.
You might give me one of your sons to become my husband.
I would not wish to take one of my subjects as a husband... I am afraid."
It is believed that this was a plea from Ankhesenpaaten. The Hittite King sent one of his sons,
Zannanza, as requested but he was murdered during the journey.
When Ankhesenpaaten died is unknown but she probably died sometime during the short rule of Ay,
between 1325 BC and 1321 BC.

14. Given his age, the king
probably had very powerful advisers,
presumably including General
Horemheb and the Vizier Ay.
Horemheb records that the king
appointed him "lord of the land" as
In his third regnal year, Tutankhamun reversed several changes made during his
father's reign. He ended the worship of the god Aten and restored the god Amun to supremacy. The ban
on the cult of Amun was lifted and traditional privileges were restored to its priesthood. The capital was
moved back to Thebes and the city of Akhetaten abandoned.[16]This is when he changed his name to
Tutankhamun, "Living image of Amun", reinforcing the restoration of Amun.
hereditary prince to maintain law. He also noted his ability to calm the young king when his temper
flared.

15. As part of his restoration, the king initiated building projects, in particular at Karnak
in Thebes, where he dedicated a temple to Amun. Many monuments were erected, and an inscription
on his tomb door declares the king had "spent his life in fashioning the images of the gods". The
traditional festivals were now celebrated again, including those related to the Apis Bull, Horemakhet,
and Opet. His restoration stela says:
The temples of the gods and goddesses ... were in ruins. Their shrines were deserted and
overgrown. Their sanctuaries were as non-existent and their courts were used as roads ... the gods
turned their backs upon this land ... If anyone made a prayer to a god for advice he would never
respond.
The country was economically weak and in turmoil following the reign of Akhenaten.
Diplomatic relations with other kingdoms had been neglected, and Tutankhamun sought to restore
them, in particular with the Mitanni. Evidence of his success is suggested by the gifts from various
countries found in his tomb. Despite his efforts for improved relations, battles with Nubians and
Asiatics were recorded in his mortuary temple at Thebes. His tomb contained body armor and folding
stools appropriate for military campaigns. However, given his youth and physical disabilities, which
seemed to require the use of a cane in order to walk (he died c. age 19), historians speculate that he did
not personally take part in these battles.

16. British archaeologist Howard
Carter and his workmen discover a step
leading to the tomb of King
Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings
in Egypt.
When Carter first arrived in
Egypt in 1891, most of the ancient
Egyptian tombs had been discovered, though the little-known King Tutankhamen, who had died
when he was 18, was still unaccounted for. After World War I, Carter began an intensive search for
“King Tut’s Tomb,” finally finding steps to the burial room hidden in the debris near the entrance
of the nearby tomb of King Ramses VI in the Valley of the Kings. On November 26, 1922, Carter
and fellow archaeologist Lord Carnarvon entered the interior chambers of the tomb, finding them
miraculously intact.

17. Thus began a monumental excavation process in which Carter carefully explored
the four-room tomb over several years, uncovering an incredible collection of several thousand
objects. The most splendid architectural find was a stone sarcophagus containing three coffins nested
within each other. Inside the final coffin, which was made out of solid gold, was the mummy of the
boy-king Tutankhamen, preserved for more than 3,000 years. Most of these treasures are now housed
in the Cairo Museum.

18. The curse of the mummy began when many terrible events occurred after the
discovery of King Tut's tomb. Legend has it that anyone who dared to open the tomb would suffer the
wrath of the mummy. Because mummies have been associated with many magical powers throughout
history, some of the mummies found from Egypt were ground into a fine powder and sold as mystical
mummy powder. It's believed the powder had magical healing powers and it wasn't until the discovery
of King Tut and the hype of the media that things would change forever.
The hype began when Lord Carnarvon, the person who funded the dig of King
Tut’s Tomb, died shortly after the discovery. The path to his death began in the spring of 1923 when
he was bitten on the cheek by a mosquito. During his morning shaving routines, he further
aggravated the mosquito bite. It soon became infected and Lord Carnarvon found himself ill. He
suffered a high fever and chills. A doctor was sent to examine him but medical attention arrived too
late and Lord Carnarvon died. At that exact moment the lights in Cairo mysteriously went out.

19. Once Carnarvon died the media went wild with stories of his death. They claimed
King Tut wanted vengeance and announced a mummy's curse, which targeted those who had entered the
tomb. Not only did the death of Carnarvon get all the people in an uproar but other stories began to
surface as well. Of the stories that surfaced, two remain prominent. One of the prominent stories is that a
cobra killed Howard Carter's (explorer who discovered King Tut’s burial place) pet canary after the
discovery of King Tut's tomb. The other story is that Lord Carnarvon's dog howled and dropped dead at
two in the morning when Carnarvon died.
What is interesting is that Howard Carter lived a decade after this major discovery.
Howard Carter spent his last years logging and recording every artifact found in the tomb. Why didn't he
suffer the curse of the mummy? He was, after all, the first to enter the tomb.
New findings are showing that bacteria on the wall of the tomb might have been the
cause of the curse. The bacteria would release spores into the air allowing it to be breathed. This in turn
caused people who came into contact with these spores to become ill. Could this be what killed Lord
Carnarvon? It appears that this could have contributed to his demise, as well as the fact that he was not
in the best of health. Whether the mummy’s curse is fact or fiction, this story seems to interest people
even today. The myth of the curse has remained with King Tut and continues to make people question as
to whether the curse was really unleashed.

20. There are no surviving records of Tutankhamun's final days. What caused
Tutankhamun's death has been the subject of considerable debate. Major studies have been conducted
in an effort to establish the cause of death. There is some evidence, advanced by Harvard
microbiologist Ralph Mitchell, that his burial may have been hurried. Mitchell reported that dark
brown splotches on the decorated walls of Tutankhamun's burial chamber suggested that he had been
entombed even before the paint had a chance to dry. Although there is some speculation that
Tutankhamun was assassinated, the consensus is that his death was accidental.
Ever since the discovery of the tomb of
Tutankhamun there has been speculation about the
king's death - was he a victim of the backlash against the
Akhenaten / Amarna heresy? Had he been murdered to
allow his courtiers access to the throne? Or was he a
sickly young man whose genes had been affected by
generations of in-breeding by previous Egyptian
pharaohs?

21. The arrow marks the location of the
blow to the head.

22. In a recent book 'the Murder of Tutankhamun' by Bob Brier, a more sinister
motive for Tutankhamun's death is suggested. Brier also uses his medical knowledge to look closer at the
young King's skull here he finds evidence that leads him to declare that these bumps and marks are the
reason for Tutankhamun's early death (these same marks could most likely only be caused maliciously
he argues the area of the head which was damaged could only have been reached by someone who had
ready access to the King, a servant for example. Interestingly both Ay and Horemheb have left literary
works denying themselves of any wrong doing a text from Horemheb's statue warns 'Egyptian brothers,
don't ever forget what foreigners did to our king Tutankhamun' which does indicate that Tutankhamun
was indeed murdered).
If King Tut was murdered, some research and evidence point to a few limited servants that
could have been responsible for his death. Their motives were likely centered on greed or the changing
environment Akhenaten (King Tut’s father) had created upon his death.
If King Tut was murdered it would almost be impossible to solve due to the many years of
tarnish. King Tut was the son of the “Heretic” Pharaoh and this alone creates so many dynamics that
could have lead to his death. However King Tut died, people find his tragedy interesting and for this
reason alone many more stories will forever surface.

24. One cause of death proposed at the time of the CT scan was a chariot crash. King
Tutankhamen died 3,336 years ago, at just 19 years old, and death has always been somewhat
mysterious. After Howard Carter found his tomb in 1922, theories from murder to epilepsy, to malaria
have abounded.
But British researchers think they’ve figured it out. Their examination of Tut’s
remains revealed that he was killed in a horrific chariot accident, they say. This new analysis shows that
he was crushed on one side of his body, likely while on his knees. The impact shattered his pelvis and
ribs, and crushed his heart so badly that it was unsalvageable for the mummification.
The pharaoh's injuries have been
matched to a specific scenario – with car-crash
investigators creating computer simulations of
chariot accidents. The results suggest a chariot
smashed into him while he was on his knees –
shattering his ribs and pelvis and crushing his
heart.

25. •
This latest theory comes from the Egyptian state
information service - the information is very sketchy: 'Forensic examination
carried out . Reveal that he (Tutankhamun) was poisoned and it is now
suggested that the blow to the back of the head might have happened after his
death, during mummification.

26. Many theories have been put forward concerning the Curse of King
Tut including the possibility of the use of poisons or toxins in the protection of the tomb of the boy-
king pharaoh. Whether or not poisons were deliberately used as protection devices by the Ancient
Egyptians is highly debateable but recent laboratory tests have revealed that some of the ancient
mummies found in tombs do carry mold, or bacteria and it is believed that poison was used in the
coatings of tombs or in powders which were released
into the air when stones were disturbed. It is, however,
very difficult to establish whether the poisons are of
ancient origins. What is certain is that any studies,
investigations and examinations of Ancient Egyptian
tombs, coffins and mummies are now undertaken in
accordance with strict safety precautions including
protective clothing.

27. Scientists believe Egyptian King Tutankhamun died of illness, rather than from a
chariot crash, as was long believed. A ‘virtual autopsy’ showed that the boy king suffered from
genetic deficiencies and that his parents were probably brother and sister.

28. The autopsy was carried out by using in excess of 2,000 computer scans,
alongside genetic analysis of Tutankhamun, by using DNA from his body. Speaking to the
Independent newspaper, Professor Albert Zink, who is the head of the Institute for Mummies and
Icemen in Italy says he is fairly sure that the young pharaoh did not die as a result of a chariot
accident.
Scientists also discovered that Tutankhamun had suffered only one broken bone
before he died, while other breaks occurred later, such as his fractured skull. Ashraf Selim told the
Times newspaper that “There is only one site where we can say the fracture happened before he
died and that is the knee.” He also added that, “It’s a big trauma. This fracture happened shortly
before he died and before embalming.”
The experts say that inbreeding would have played a role in his deformities and
an inherited disease is likely to have eventually have killed him. Previous theories concerning his
death had been that he was murdered, due to his fractured skull. However, it is now believed the
break happened due to natural causes as his body was mummified.

29. Dr. Benson Harer has added a new theory
to the mix: death by hippo. An Egyptology
professor at California State University, Harer had
previously established that Tutankhamen had
severed ribs and was embalmed without his heart
or anterior chest wall–a departure from the strictly
codified mummification process of the era.
In Harer’s view, this made the case for a crushing injury to the chest as the cause of
death. Pointing to Egyptian pharaohs’ known fondness for hippopotamus hunting, he has now
suggested that a lethal hippo bite inflicted the damage.
The hippopotamus’ symbolic connotations may explain why the boy king’s
demise has remained shrouded in mystery, according to Harer. He speculates that the
authorities concealed the exact cause of the pharaoh’s death to avoid political instability,
fearing that the public might interpret it as a negative sign from the gods.

30. There were many grand treasures spread amongst the chamber of King Tut's
Tomb, but one of the most interesting aspects of King Tut's mummy is the vast array of items that were
attached to the body to provide him with the magical protection that would allow him to pass into the
netherworld. Either on the outside, or wrapped within the layers of mummy bandages that encased his
body were no less then 107 different items, some grand, some very small and insignificant, at least to us,
and some function.

31. DiscoveringTut:TheSagaContinues
Tutankhamun, the11th pharaoh ofthe18th dynasty ofAncientEgyptis
famousdue tothediscoveryofhiscompletelyintacttombbythe British
archaeologist HowardCarterin1922.
Tutwasa teenagedheirto theroyal throne ofEgypt. Thefamilyhadruled
Egyptforcenturies.But tut diedyoung.Hewasthelastofthefamilyline.His
fatherorgrandfather Amenhotep-III wasapowerfulPharaoh whoruledfor
almost40years.Hisson, Amenhotep-IV succeededhimbutheshockedthe
country byattacking Amun,a majorGod,smashinghisimagesandclosingallhis
temples.HisfamilyhadruledforcenturiesbeforetheboykingTuttook over.
However,Tutruledfornineyearsandthen diedunexpectedly.
Centuriespassed.Intheyear1920,an archaeologist,HowardCarter,
discoveredhistombafter3300hundred yearsofTut’sburial.CarterwasaBritish
citizenandthereforehedidn’t have thebeliefsoftheEgyptians.TheEgyptians
nevertriedtogonearTut’stombbecausetheyhad fearedthat goingnearTut’s
tombwasdisastrous.ItcouldinvitethePharaoh’s curse.LikeotherBritish
citizens,Carteralsobelievedthat thiswasjusta superstitionto keepthievesaway
fromthetombandfromtheenormouswealthburiedwiththelittlePharaoh.
Anyway Carterwasnotscared.Hedecidedtotake Tut’sbodyout.

32. But taking Tut’s body wasn’t easy. Carter and his team broke the three gold coffins one after the other.
Finally they broke the innermost coffin and saw the dried, hard body of Tut. It was really wonderful to see the
dead body of a 3300 year old mummy and to know for sure that his name was Tutankhamun. He then decided to
take the body out of the coffins but soon he realized that this task was not so easy because the body had got
hardened with the resins and separating the body from the coffin was impossible. But Carter could not think of
leaving the body there. He feared the thieves who could destroy the mummy for stealing the valuable wealth
inside, so Carter decided to cut Tut’s body into pieces.
That really happened : Carter amputated Tut’s hands, legs and all the other joints. You can call it a kind
of a 21st century murder of a 1300 BC Pharaoh and the murder was committed by Howard Carter. Carter had no
option because for him the mummy was more important than the treasures. Having taken the sliced pieces of Tut,
Carter rejoined them into Tut again. Carter received criticisms from everywhere for killing an ancient mummy but
Carter went ahead with his discovery. After some years, probably after Carter’s death , a doctor performed an x-
ray and found out that one of Tut’s bone was missing from his reassembled body. How did it happen? No one
knows! Years passes and archaeologists and scientists performed a number of studies and experiments.

33. Today CT scan takes hundreds of x-
rays and creates a three dimensional image of the body.
Tut’s mummy was put into a CT scanner on 5 Jan, 2005
to answer this question-How did King Tut died and how
old was he at the time of death? King Tut was one of the
first mummies to be scanned in death as in life. The
process took less than three hours. The Pharaoh was
taken back in the tomb again. The CT scan dispelled all
doubts. Nothing had gone seriously wrong. Tut is
resting in peace in his valley of the departed kings of
Egypt.
The modern world has turned impossibilities to possibilities. William’s report gives an insight
into this. The mummy scanned after a thousand years has opened new avenues regarding a cause of its death but
technology hasn’t been able to give us a definite answer to Tut’s death. However, it has given us a direction to think
and proceed. Maybe in future, technology would solve it for us.

34. SOURCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutankhamun
http://www.biography.com/people/king-tut-9512446
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2005/06/king-
tut/williams-text
http://www.kingtutone.com/tutankhamun/
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/whowastut.htm
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/tut.htm
http://ib205.tripod.com/tut-death.html
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/feb/17/malaria-
killed-king-tutankhamun
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8516425.stm
http://www.history.com/news/did-a-hippo-kill-king-tut
http://www.livescience.com/40925-king-tuts-death-
spontaneous-combustion.html
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,3491
08,00.html