The Coronation of a Boy King
A young boy stands in a temple filled with burning incense, awaiting a priest to place a glittering crown upon his head. This ritual is part of the coronation ceremony that will make the nine-year-old the pharaoh of ancient Egypt. His people will call him by his royal name: King Tutankhamun, known to most as simply King Tut.
King Tutankhamun Historic Discovery
Tutankhamun became pharaoh in 1332 B.C. at the age of nine, ruling during a time of conflict between Egypt and the neighboring kingdom of Nubia. Nearly a decade after taking the throne, the young leader died at around 18. However, little was known about Tutankhamun until 1922, when British archaeologist Howard Carter uncovered his tomb in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings.
The Nested Coffins
After years of searching, Carter discovered the biggest treasure within Tut’s tomb – a coffin that opened to reveal another coffin, and inside that, a third coffin made of gold. Within lay Tut’s mummified body, untouched for over 3,000 years.
Unraveling the Mystery of Tutankhamun Death
Damage to the Mummy
Soon after the mummy’s discovery, archaeologists attempting to pry Tutankhamun body from the sticky sacred oils coating his coffin inadvertently damaged the mummy, making it difficult to determine the cause of death.
Theories and Modern Analysis
Some suspected murder by poisoning, but modern technologies like 3D scanning revealed the young king was actually in poor health and even had a broken leg. Experts theorize Tut may have tumbled from a chariot and, with a weakened immune system, succumbed to an infection from the injury.
The Enduring Enigma
However, archaeologists aren’t quite ready to consider the mystery solved. Without historical records detailing the events, we may never know the whole truth behind Tut’s death. Regardless, the treasures of King Tut’s tomb have solidified his status as the most famous mummy in the world.
