Tutankhamun was a pharaoh of Egypt from around 1343-1324 BC. He became king at around age 10 and ruled for approximately 9-10 years. His lavish tomb was discovered in 1922 by archaeologist Howard Carter, containing treasures and artifacts that provided insights into life during his reign. Ancient Egyptians believed in an afterlife and developed elaborate burial and mummification practices to preserve the body for its journey there. Some deaths that occurred after Tutankhamun's tomb was opened led to speculation of a "curse of the pharaohs."

1. Tutankhamun
(Toot – an – car – moon)

2. The Boy King
 Born around 1343 B.C, died December/ January
1324 B.C
 Pharaoh for 9 – 10 years
 Father was Amenhotep. Mother possibly Queen
Kiya.
 Married his half sister Ankhesenamun when he
was ten years old
 Childhood was spent in Amarna
 Moved back to Thebes when he became king
 Servants were used for all menial tasks eg.
Bathing, dressing, shaving his head and leaving
a small braid at the side
2005 French impression of
 Guards for when he went swimming in the Nile what Tutankhamun looked
 Diet consisted mainly of meat and vegetables, like
figs and dates, and wine made from different
varieties of grapes, figs and pomegranates.

3. The Boy King cont’d
 Entertained themselves with board
games such as Senet.
 Musicians played harps, lutes and
pipes
 Clothing was light and simple –
pleated kilts of white linen
 Lots of jewelry – gold bracelets and
rings, necklaces of beads and gold
(large enough to cover chest), heavy
earrings.
 Boys learned at age four how to read
and write
 Tut’s chief minister or an army
general ran the country (advisors)
 He possibly died from an infection
stemming from a broken leg

4. Tut’s tomb
 His tomb contained four rooms
 The burial chamber held 4 shrines, a
sarcophagus, a nest of 3 coffins and the
mummy of Tutankhamun
 Brush case made from wood covered in
gold foil and gemstones
 Treasure - gold and silver and encrusted
with precious jewels
 Jewelry, Furniture, Weapons, Thrones,
Jars and Vases, Games, Boats, Chariots,
Clothes and Statues

5. Questions about Tut
 What year did he die?
 If peasants ate bread and drank beer, what
would Tutankhamun have eaten?
 Who looked after his daily needs and what were
they?
 What was required to go swimming in the Nile?
 Describe the clothing most likely worn by
Tutankhamun and other royal family members?
 How many years did he rule as Pharaoh?
 What age was he when he died?

6. Howard Carter
 Archaeologist
 Born in England in 1874
 First travelled to Egypt at the age of 17
 Spent 17 years living in Egypt altogether
 In 1907, the Englishman Lord Carnavon
sponsored his ‘dig’ for the tomb of
Tutankhamun
 November 1922, a step was discovered that
would eventually lead to the unearthing of
Tutankhamun's tomb
 Upon discovering the tomb his firsts words
when asked “Do you see anything?” were
simply “Yes, wonderful things”.
 Howard carter died in 1939 aged 64

7. Questions about Howard Carter
 What was Howard Carters’ occupation?
 In 1907, an English Lord offered to
sponsor the dig. What was this Lords’
name?
 What is Carter famous for?
 What year was this?
 The first words used to describe what he
had discovered were?

8. Dying in ancient Egypt
 Ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife
 The journey to the land of the dead was a difficult one
 Special book of magic spells, to help a person reach the
land of the dead
 It was called the ‘book of the dead’ and contained
almost 200 hundred spells, blessings and tests
 Everyone had to pass a test in the Hall of the Two
Truths to see if they were worthy of going to the
afterlife
 The heart was weighed with a feather on a set of scales
by Osiris God of the Underworld
 It the heart was lighter than the feather then you were
permitted entry to the land of the dead
 If it was heavier it meant the person had lied and the
heart was eaten by Ammut, devourer of the dead,
preventing the person from entering the afterlife

9. Anubis- jackal-headed god Osiris- god of the
of mummification Horus- falcon-headed underworld
Ammut- devourer
of the dead sky god
Thoth- ibis-headed god of
wisdom with scribe’s palette

10. Still Dying in Ancient Egypt
 A person’s spirit enjoyed
same pleasures as in life
 Tomb contained items for
living comfortably in after life
e.g. food, furniture, clothes
and jewellery
 Most important thing need
was a body
 The Egyptians learnt how to
preserve the body. This
process was called
embalming or mummification

11. Making a Mummy
 The god Anubis was in charge
of the embalming process
 A cut was made in the left side
of the body
 All organs except the heart
were removed
 Lungs, liver, stomach and
intestines were stored in
Canopic jars
 These were protected by the Anubis attending to the Mouth
four sons of Horus (Osiris and Opening Ceremony on a mummy
Isis’s son)

12. The four son’s of Horus
 Each canopic jar guarded a different organ.
 1. Imsety had a human head, protected the liver.
 2. Qebehsenuf had the head of a falcon and guarded the
intestines.
 3. Hapy had a baboon head protected the lungs.
 4. Duamatef had the head of a jackal, and guarded the
stomach.
 The four canopic jars were put into a special chest which went
into the tomb with the mummy.

13. Embalming cont’d
 The brain was hooked out and thrown away
(a useless organ)
 Body dried in Natron (type of salt) for 40
days
 Then stuffed with scented rags to keep its
shape
 Fine white cloth used for wrapping body
 Charms placed between layers while priests
prayed (to keep evil spirits away)
 15 days to wrap
 Cloth coated with glue like substance which
dried hard like a shell
 Scarab placed over heart of kings to help him
through the scrutiny of past life

14. King Tut's mummy in tomb in Egypt

15. Questions about dying in Ancient Egypt
 Name the book of spells that helps a persons’ spirit
reach the afterlife.
 What was the test in the Hall of Two Truths?
 Why was the Pharaoh's tomb filled with everyday items?
 What is the name given to the process for preserving the
body?
 Name the containers the liver, lungs, stomach and
intestines are stored in.
 The body was dried out in what substance and for how
long?
 Charms were placed between the layers of cloth for
what purpose?

16. Curse of the mummy
 Warning saying `Death will come to those who
disturb the sleep of the pharaohs' was
supposedly written over entrance to the burial
chamber
 Lord Carnarvon died 7 weeks after Tut’s tomb
was first opened
 Although it was from an infected mosquito
bite, people thought it was because of the
curse
 It didn’t help that several more people
connected to the tombs’ opening died in a
short space of time after the opening (10
years)
 However, Howard Carter lived another 17
years
 Mummy’s curse, or strange coincidence?

17. Curse of the Mummy
 What did the warning over the entrance of
the burial chamber read?
 What did Lord Carnarvon actually die
from?
 Howard Carter lived for how many years
after the tomb was opened?
 Why is it called ‘The curse of the
mummy’?

20. References
 http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/egypt/canopic.htm
 http://www.thenileandegypt.com/deities.html
 http://thegiftofthemuses.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/egyptian-afterlife1.jpg
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMovf5MAtm4
 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/a-3000yearold-mystery-is-finally
 http://www.richard-seaman.com/Travel/Egypt/Cairo/Museum/Tutankhamun/Death
 http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/kingtutdeath.htm