The wonders of ancient Egypt are riddled with mysteries that even experts can't solve. Experts even went so far as to create a separate body of knowledge dedicated to everything there is to know about Egypt's sandy enigmas.
Who is King Tutankhamun?
Amid the discovery of underground catacombs and years of expeditions, many stones were left unturned, and questions were left unanswered.
It was not until the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb on November 4, 1922, that progress in the field was accelerated. This monumental discovery significantly changed hundreds of years of knowledge about ancient Egypt.
The tomb of King Tutankhamun serves as our own window into Egypt's ethereal period of kings and dynasties. The discovery of the tomb in the Valley of the Kings gave a clear image of Egyptian royalty and the lengths ancient Egyptians went to honor their dead.
This is because Tutankhamun's tomb is filled with all of his worldly goods, some of which are plated in gold and precious gems, that at first glance would seem that it was prepared just yesterday.
Aside from being the mummy wearing a golden mask, King Tutankhamun became one of Ancient Egypt's most famous rulers for a variety of reasons.
Historians are still trying to learn more about the boy ruler from Egypt's Valley of the Kings, although many details of his reign have been lost to time. A few facts have already been unearthed to tell the story of King Tutankhamun's brief dynasty, thanks to ever-developing knowledge and modern sciences.
What Science Says About the Boy King
1. Being the most famous mummy has its own set of disadvantages. An article from Stuff tells us that at the height of the Second World War, his tomb was entered by unknown people who cut and removed some of his ribs in the search for amulets and jewelry.
This is not the first time his body has been subjected to such distress. In 1925, three years after its discovery, anatomists who studied the king removed him from the coffin and literally chopped off his limbs, head, and torso. Poor King Tut.
2. Tutankhamun was one of the lesser-known pharaohs of his time, according to National Geographic, and he ruled for only about nine years.
Some academics believe that priests and royal advisors may have even used the boy king as a puppet to seize control for themselves.
Others contend that Tut's successors had his name erased from records and monuments due to his connection to the despised Akhenaten, a controversial figure in ancient Egypt.
3. Two female fetuses were found in the young king's catacomb, according to a 2011 study. Both of them passed away shortly after being born, one at about five to six months gestation and the other at about nine months.
These are most likely the daughters of Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun, and they most likely passed away before their father.
Finding a mummified fetus is unusual. Some children were mummified by the ancient Egyptians, but even this practice was rare. Tutankhamun clearly felt the loss of his children deeply and desired to have them with him in the afterlife.
4. How Tut died is one of the mysteries that has baffled historians and scientists alike.
Since the British archaeologist, Howard Carter, found Tut's tomb in 1922, theories about the King's death have proliferated. Some believe he was murdered or that he suffered from malaria or another fatal illness.
Others have proposed that Tut's missing sternum and ribs may have fallen from his chariot or been crushed in an accident. Others assert that he most likely passed away as an invalid, citing evidence of clubfoot and possible cane use.
5. Tutankhamun was adorned in a floral collar when his tomb was discovered in 1922. Due to the fact that they were kept sealed inside the coffin with him, they were in good condition.
Other mummies have been discovered with funeral bouquets. However, this is the only royal grave where every flower was discovered exactly as the ancient Egyptian mourners had left it.
These astonishingly well-preserved floral collars from Tutankhamun's embalming cache show how the broad collars that are so frequently shown in Egyptian tomb paintings were made.
