The mysteries behind Tutankhamun's death

Who is Tutankhamun?

During Akhenaten’s reign, a royal child was born under the name of Tutankhaten, after Aten, the new all-god preached by Akhenaten. Following the turmoil of Akhenaten’s death, the boy king changed his name after the famous solar deity, Amun and his name became Tutankhamun. Scholars are still uncertain about the identity of Tutankhamun’s mother; some believe that the child’s mother was Nefertiti who was Akhenaten’s principal wife and some believe that his mother was one of his secondary wives named Kiya. He married Ankhesenamun who was his half-sister and the daughter of Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. Although the couple had no surviving children, it was believed they had two daughters, Tutankhamun was the 12^th pharaoh of the 18^th dynasty and he ruled Egypt as a pharaoh for 10 years. Because Tutankhaten was just nine years old when he ruled Egypt, the first years of his reign were dominated by Ay, who was a Vizier during that time.

 

Tutankamun's astounding Golden Mask

What are his most important achievements?

While Tutankhamun's unprecedented golden treasures may be the main reason behind his popularity, this king had much more than riches. When Tutankhamun ruled Egypt officially, he moved the royal court back to Thebes. He restored Thebes as a religious center and changed the end of his name to Amun.  Tutankhamun just wanted to return the old order that his father had disturbed, hoping that the gods would look favorably on Egypt again. Indeed, untangling the chaotic mess Akhenaten left behind was no easy task. 

He also ordered the repair of the sacred sites across Egypt and continued the construction at the Karnak’s temple. Tutankhamun also cared about restoring better relations with Egypt's neighbors, unlike his father who completely neglected the foreign policy. Tutankhamun worked so hard with his powerful advisers Horemheb and Ay to restore Egypt’s stature in the region.

 

The mystery of his death

After Tutankhamun’s untimely death at the young age of 19, he was erased from historical records until the discovery of his tomb by the archaeologist Howard Carter at the Valley of the Kings in 1922. Since then, studies of his tomb have made Tutankhamun one of the most famous and important ancient Egyptian kings propelled by the mysteries shrouding him.

One very important question that remains hard to be answered till today is: 

How did Tutankhamun die exactly?

Researchers are still hard at work investigating all evidence pertaining to the cause of Tutankhamun's premature death to this day. However, it is generally accepted that the cause of his death is one of the following theories:

The First Theory: Assassination

Some scholars suggest that Tutankhamun may have been killed by his advisor, Ay who may have wanted to seize the crown and make himself a pharaoh. Others suggest that he was killed by General Horemoheb who was appointed as the commander of the army at that time. An X-ray of Tut’s skull revealed a blood clot at its base and a loose bone fragment. This could have been caused by impalement, which eventually killed him. However, later analysis revealed that the bone fragment broke off during the mummifying process of the body so perhaps it wasn’t linked to the pharaoh’s death.

The Second Theory: Accident 

A true CT scan was performed under the direction of Zahi Hawass in 2005. It revealed extreme damage to the rib cage and a broken leg. The team of Hawass also found evidence that Tut suffered from a curvature of the spine and a painful bone disease in one foot. One cause of death that was suggested during the time of the CT scan was a chariot crash. Another analysis by Rühli showed that the king was suffering from malaria and CT scans specified he probably had a rare bone disorder that caused his left foot to be deformed. The presence of several specialized walking canes at his burial site further solidify this claim. A violent accident to a readily deformed leg may have been the true cause of death. 

The Third Theory: Sickness

It was suggested that Tutankhamun died from tuberculosis. His parents might have been brother and sister, causing the child's Pharaoh to suffer from severe genetic disorders, depending on the results of a new study of the King’s remains. In 2014 Dr. Ashrafian assumed that Tut had familial temporal lobe epilepsy that caused his death. He guessed this could explain why the artifacts we found from the period display him with a feminine physique as the condition affects hormone levels.

Gold riches and unresolved mystery make up this enigmatic king. Like it or not, Tutankhamun will forever remain one of the most important kings of Ancient Egypt. While his many trials and tributaries are a tale for another article!