Tutankhamun is the most famous pharaoh in the world, not because of anything he did as king, but because his tomb was found almost intact in 1922, packed with gold and treasure. He came to the throne as a boy of about nine, around 1332 BC, and died about nine years later, still a teenager.
His family
He was born Tutankhaten, “living image of the Aten”, during the reign of Akhenaten, who DNA studies suggest was his father. Akhenaten had turned Egypt’s religion upside down, worshipping only the sun disc. Under the boy king’s advisers, the old gods were restored, the capital returned to Thebes and Memphis, and the king changed his name to Tutankhamun, “living image of Amun”. He married Ankhesenamun, his half-sister, but they had no surviving children.
King TutankhamunHow did he die?
No one knows for certain. Scans and DNA tests carried out since 2005 show that he had a damaged foot and walked with a cane, had suffered from malaria, and had a broken leg that may not have healed before his death. Murder theories are popular, but there is no firm evidence for them.
The discovery of the tomb
On 4 November 1922, the British archaeologist Howard Carter, funded by Lord Carnarvon, found a step cut into the rock in the Valley of the Kings. Looking into the tomb by candlelight, he was asked if he could see anything and answered, “Yes, wonderful things.” Inside were more than 5,000 objects: chariots, thrones, beds, jewelry, weapons, games, food and clothes. The king lay in three nested coffins, the innermost of solid gold, wearing the gold mask that has become the symbol of ancient Egypt. Stories of a “curse” followed Carnarvon’s death in 1923, but most of the people who entered the tomb lived long lives.
Where to see Tutankhamun today
His mummy still lies in his tomb, KV62, in the Valley of the Kings. His treasure, including the mask, is shown together for the first time at the Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza. You can see both on our Egypt tour packages.
