Tutankhamun - More Than Just a Treasure Trove

The name of Tutankhamun, King Tut's full name, is probably known to almost everyone on the planet, but in a historical context, he was a very minor figure among the kings of Egypt. He was, however, a bridge of sorts, between the troubled reign of the 18^th Dynasty Pharaoh Akhenaten, and the restoration of Amun as the chief god. Akhenaten, the heretic king, was a believer in monotheism, believing in one god who ruled over the universe, rather than the many gods arranged in a hierarchy. Akhenaten insisted on destroying the belief that Amun was the main god and laid claim that Aten was the true god.

Akhenaten ruled with his main queen, the beautiful Nefertiti, and seemingly vanished from record, leaving a successor named Smenkhkare. To this day, the identity of Smenkhkare is still uncertain, but it's known that his reign was short lived. The next in line was nine year old Tutankhaten, the living image of Aten. About three years after he became king, his name was changed to Tutankhamun and the Amun priests again siezed control, denouncing Aten as the one god.

Ay, the Amun priest and vizier of Tutankhamun, likely controlled most of the decisions and politics until the young Pharaoh came of age. It's speculated that Tutankhamun could have been the son of Akhenaten and one of his other queens, Kiya, although other possibilities are around, including that he was the son of Smenkhkare. Without much written at the time about Tutankhamun, his parentage may never be known. Another factor that could be problematic in determining the ancestry of the young Pharaoh was that after the death of Akhenaten, the Amun priests set about destroying the 'heretic's' city, monuments and artwork.

With Tutankhamun on the throne, the Egyptian gods were restored to their glory and the country settled back into their routine, erasing the memory of Akhenaten. Then, in 1923, Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon made a fabulous discovery that brought the boy king into the public eye. His tomb contained a cache of gold objects, furniture, boats and the incredible sarcophagus. Examination of the mummy indicated that Tutankhamun died at about the age of 19, probably about the time he would 'come of age' and become in full control as Pharaoh. Many speculations have suggested that he was murdered so that Ay could continue to govern, but recent CT scans of the mummy dispute this idea, showing Tutankhamun in good health, except for a possible leg fracture. It is now believed that this fracture may have caused gangrene, which killed the young Pharaoh in a matter of days.

The exact details of Tutankhamun's life and death will probably never be known, but he still stands out as a young man placed in charge of a country, likely doing the best he could on a very human level. He was married, probably had several daughters who died at birth, since two infant mummies were buried with him, and grew up during a difficult time when his predecessor was cursed and deemed a heretic. So long as his tomb treasures are viewed by the multitudes, his memory will live on.