...The Mystery of King Tut's Death The Mystery of King Tut's Death If you ask the average American to name an egyptian king ninety nine percent of the time they will spout out the name king Tutankhamun or king Tut for short with out really even thinking about it. Why is that so many automatically associate an egyptian casket with the one that was unearthed in Tut's tomb? Maybe it has something to do with the kings appointment at such a young age and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death or murder at the tender age of eighteen. Maybe it has something to do with the highly publicized discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. Tutankhamun's is the only royal tomb in Egypt to have escaped the discovery of looters. In addition to the royal sarcophagus discovered by archeologist Howard Carter, there were also vast quantities of beautiful furniture in the tomb, including a golden throne that dates from the early kings rule (Sayre, H. M., 2011). This makes us curious about what really happened to king Tut there are many accounts but they have not been proven so for now they are just theories that add to the mystery of king Tut's demise. The most controversial theory of what happened to tutankhamun is that he was murdered by someone in his inner circle whom he trusted maybe even a family member. In his international bestseller The Murder of Tutankhamun paleontologist Bob Brier accuses Aye, Tutankhamun's administrator of assassinating him...
Words: 1110 - Pages: 5
... The death of King Tutankhamun, the 12th king of the 18th Egyptian dynasty, who died at age 18, is a mystery (Tutankhamen, 2012). Speculations in the cause of death suggest King Tutankhamen died of injuries sustained from an earlier fall leaving an infection in the leg, malaria, or that he was assassinated. After that there a no surviving records of King Tutankhamun’s final days, his death is the subject of ongoing debate. The sudden death of King Tutankhamun, the boy king who ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago, is a mystery that may be finally solved. Scientists believe Tutankhamun may have fell from a fast moving chariot during a hunting excursion in the desert. Tutankhamun’s death became prevalent since his tomb was discovered in 1922 by archaeologist. English Archaeologist Howard Carter and his colleagues studied X-rays of the mummy that indicated a swelling at the base of King Tutankhamun’s skull suggesting, “King Tut” as he was known, was killed by a blow to the head. Carter states “it was like stepping into a funeral of a 3,200-year-old king. It was no longer just scientific research but bought out the human aspect” (Howard Carter, 2011). This theory concludes King Tut may have been murdered as the result of blunt force trauma (Lovgren, 2006). This theory was later ruled out, and it was determined that the hole to King Tut’s head was results from the mummification process. King Tutankhamen had a foot...
Words: 517 - Pages: 3
...The Mysteries of King Tutankhamen’s Death There have been many theories on how Tutankhamen died. However, several scientist and doctors believe that they have solved the mystery. During research of this mystery many theories and assumptions have been made; such as murder, accidental death, birth defects, and illnesses. The three theories that will be discussed here are as follows: gynecomestia, accidental death, or murder. First we have the theory of Dr. Hutan Ashrafian, a lecturer and surgeon at the Imperial College London. He says that the key to solving the mystery lies in the art of the time. Numerous signs in the art depict King Tut with highly feminine features, and that the enlarged breast is indicative of a condition known as gynecomastia. He states that this condition when added to familial evidence, indicates that Tutankhamun might have suffered and eventually died from temporial lobe epilepsy. “ For all of them to die sequentially at younger ages is a sign of genetic inheritance of some sort,” Ashrafian said, adding “you could argue that one of them died in battle, one of them was poisoned, but none of them did die in battle. They could have been poisoned, of course, but it’s very odd for sequential pharaohs who were aware that they could have been killed to be killed at such a young age.” This statement he made after researching King Tut’s family members that preceded him in ruling as Pharoah. Ashrafian believes that Tutankhamun’s father, Akhenaten...
Words: 864 - Pages: 4
...The Mystery of King Tutankhamen's Death (Assignment 1) John Clevenger Strayer University World Cultures I HUM 111 Mark Tolf May 02, 2013 The Mystery of King Tutankhamen's Death (Assignment 1) Since his lavishly furnished, nearly intact tomb was discovered in 1922, the cause of Tutankhamen’s death more than 3,000 years ago has been at the center of intense debate. There have been theories of murder, leprosy, tuberculosis, malaria, sickle-cell anemia, a snake bite and a fall from his chariot. Speculation about a mummy’s curse became a popular superstition due to his tomb being broken into by archaeologist Howard Carter and his team. The two theories that I found the most believable are King Tut died from complications from disease and dying from a fall from his chariot. Due to forensic evidence, murder has been ruled out but they did find other traces that can account for claims involving his frailty. “A pair of unusually large breasts on a male statue has convinced one scholar that he’s solved the riddle of King Tutankhamen’s early death. According to Hutan Ashrafian, a surgeon and lecturer at Imperial College London, the ancient Egyptian pharaoh is often depicted with feminine features and suspiciously large breasts a sign of gynecomastia, which points to temporal lobe epilepsy. Other factors play into the epilepsy diagnosis: a family history of early deaths, strong religious visions and fractures from falling, all of which suggest a history of epilepsy. There’s one...
Words: 969 - Pages: 4
... The Mysterious Death of King Tutankhamen Three thousand years ago after his death the question still remains: How did King Tutankhamen die? Over the years many facts have been shared by well-known scientist, Egyptologist and historians attempting to find out if King Tut was murdered or if his death was accidental. Egyptologist Bob Brier is a strong advocate of the most popular theory, “The Theory of Ay”. He believes King Tuts servants Ay killed him out of greed in order to take over his throne. Another fairly popular theory is the theory that King Tut died from infection due to a broken leg after falling from his chariot. Although both theories have their valid points only one can be true. The most plausible theory is definitely “The Theory of Ay”. According to http://www.kingtutone.com/tutankhamun/murder/ Ay had the motive to kill Tut considering he would be next in line to the throne as long as he married Tuts wife Ankhesenamun. In 1997 Mr. Brier revealed that the ring he found in Cairo proved Ay and Ankhesenamun did indeed get married after the death of King Tut and along with that he also became the new pharaoh of the land. Many people believe the marriage was forced despite Ankhesenamun’s attempt to wed the son of the King of Hittites who was assassinated on his way to wed Ankhesenamun. In addition to “The Theory of Ay” It was also discovered by Bob Brier that there had been a hematoma at the lower base of King Tuts skull, probably caused by...
Words: 506 - Pages: 3
...DEATH He was just a teenager when he died. Since the discovery of his tomb in 1922, the modern world has speculated about what has happened to him, with murder the most extreme possibility. Most people argue that Tutankhamun was murdered from a blow to the head because he had an injury to the back of his skull. He also had visible broken bones when his tomb was excavated. Many think that he was murdered because Tut died when he was only 19 years old. For many years, it was assumed that the so called Boy King was a murder victim by either one of his successors. Although Many speculate that King Tut was murdered, Scientist have their own theories about the death of King Tut as well. Scientist believe that he may have died from natural causes, or simply by an accident. The first theory that King Tut was murdered was because of the head injury to the back of his skull. After extensive research, I found an article in The National Geographic magazine that states a team of specialist in radiology, forensics, and anatomy did a ct scan and found no traces of lethal trauma to King Tuts head. It also states that embalmers apparently entered the skull through the nose as well as the neck, perhaps breaking off bones in the process. This would explain the injury to King Tuts head. The team found no evidence for a blow to the back of the head, and no other indication of foul play. The second theory is that King Tut may have died from...
Words: 574 - Pages: 3
...in the Valley of the Kings. The year was 1922. Most other tombs had been found by grave robbers and emptied of their treasure. The placement of king Tut’s tomb made the discovery possible. Hidden beneath the tomb of Ramses VI the tomb was discovered. Many treasures were in disarray with in the rooms. The throne itself was found in the antechamber of the tomb. I chose the throne because of the story this artwork reveals about the Pharaoh and the time of his reign. The material for the throne is surprising. While at first glance it looks to be solid gold when in fact it is not. The throne is wood overlaid with gold, semi-precious stones and glass. This...
Words: 949 - Pages: 4
...The West-Thebes (WT) Archives, in Egypt Collecting Policy: The West-Thebes Archive was founded to be located in the city of Luxor, Egypt, for the purpose of establishing a repository for all materials and records that have a permanent historical value and document the history of the excavation process in Thebes, one of the ancient Egyptian necropolises on the west bank of Luxor, Egypt. Records must be in English language and must refer to the work of the different excavation missions relates to the archaeological site, in the period between (1890-1940), which may be contained in the following materials; - Black and white excavation photographs taken by the early archaeological missions and more recent color and digital images as well....
Words: 1141 - Pages: 5
...Also, discovered that he was probably not as fine looking as he once was believed to be. Which is what he is known for, his age, his looks and strange death. Then it continues with the voting machines, how we are rely on them accurately counting our vote yet they have been proven to miscounting votes, giving votes to the opposite candidate, and even giving more votes than what the actual number of people who voted. All because of software issues, batteries, not enough machines, and lastly too many voters. The video also talks about the missile defense and nanotechnology, hydrogen power and the future of fuel. Hydrogen fuel technology, could possibly be the future source of power, and fuel for our cars and replace the fossil fuels completely. The fuel cells don’t burn anything they...
Words: 660 - Pages: 3
...Was king Tut murdered or did he die from an illness? It seems that this question has puzzled Egyptologist, historians, and scientist for decades. While conducting my research it became apparent that there are many different theories as to how King Tut’s life came to an end. Many of the theories that revolve around the death of the king tend to circle many controversial topics. With so many theories surrounding King Tut’s death it is almost impossible to rule out an exact cause of his death. One thing that is certain; there will always be many theories as to how King Tut died. One popular story that stands out is based on the relationship between King Tut and Ay. This story is popular so much so, that It was said that Ay killed King Tut out of greed. Ay knew that by killing King Tut he would inherit the throne. In 1968, Ronald Harrison, a British scientist took x-rays of Kings Tut’s skull. During his examination he discovered fragments of bone inside the skull possibly indicating trauma to the head. The damages to the head could have been caused after death, during the mummification process; however, it is highly unlikely. A trauma specialist from Long Island University by the name of Bob Brier insisted it could not have been caused naturally. He stated, “The blow was to a protected area at the back of the head which you do not injure in an accident, someone had to sneak up from behind.” Bob Brier revealed his findings January 17, 1997 in a conference held in California. ...
Words: 547 - Pages: 3
...Tutankhamun’s tomb is the only royal tomb in Egypt to have escaped the discovery of looters and was discovered by archeologist Howard Carter. The death of Tutankhamun was a sudden tragedy that til this day has yet to be solved. The cause of the famous teenage king’s death has been a long drawn out mystery with a range of theories as to how he met his end. There are no historical records explaining the cause or circumstances of his death, nor is there no positive evidence to suggest how he died. However, there are several theories and many of which have changed over the years. One theory suggests that King Tut was murdered. During an xray of the mummy in 1968, scientists found “bone fragments in King Tut’s skull prompting this theory”. Another theory as to what caused King Tut’s death was a genetic disorder known as gynecomastia, a hormone imbalance which gives males a female appearance. The final theory was that he died from a “break in the bone just above his left knee.” Technology showed that this happened while he was still alive and was probably the result of falling from a chariot and developed an infection in the wound. Furthermore, after many speculations and testing performed on the mummy to find the cause of death, it still remains a mystery. Although there is evidence to potentially prove each of these theories to be true, I believe there are two reasons why he died. While he was alive, he fractured a thigh bone which had gotten infected. This infection spread throughout...
Words: 345 - Pages: 2
... Assignment 1: Mummy’s Curse The image of the curse of the mummy instantly conjures up elaborate stories and fantastic discoveries made upon entry into the tomb of King Tutankhamen (King Tut). According to Sayre (2012) “King Tuts tomb was the only tomb discovered that was not destroyed and looted by grave robbers.” In 1922, Howard Carter (a renowned excavator) and his benefactor, the Fifth Earl of Carnarvon, were the first to enter the tomb. According to Luckhurst (2010), the tomb had been uncovered in Carter’s last-chance season of digging in the Valley of the Kings. No new tomb had been discovered for over a decade. In November 1922, they entered the antechamber and the news swept the world. In February 1923, they entered the burial chamber. A sequence of calamitous episodes occurred affecting the men who first entered the tomb. Some of the men became sick and some died. Also, some of their pets died. Some people were using these events to make claims that there was a curse associated with the opening of the tomb. According to Rompalske (2000), the story centered on Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter, and the hardships they suffered. The first conclusion is an inference that has to do with stories regarding the “curse”. At the opening of the tomb of King Tut, a clay tablet was unearthed in the antechamber, with a warning to keep out of the tomb or else experience a horrible death. According to Luckhurst (2010), the tablet had been destroyed by Carter...
Words: 619 - Pages: 3
...As a child of a King, I don’t doubt that the young King Tut was fiercely guarded. When looking at King Tutankhamun’s (Tut) mask, it easy to see that he was young. Yes indeed, he was only 19 years old when he died. King Tut was by far from being the most powerful of the Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, however, he is the most celebrated Ancient King, now three thousand years after his death; people are still incredibly fascinated about the circumstances surrounding his death. Speculation about the possible cause of King Tut’s death have been swarming around since Howard Carter, British archaeologist discovered the tomb in the Valley of Kings in 1922. Designated KV62 (Kings Valley Tomb 62), it was the first royal tomb to be found almost intact (Kmtsesh). Along with the discovery of his mummified body, his tomb was stuffed with treasures and artifacts. One theory regarding King Tut is murder. Many scientists believe the fracture to the back of the skull which was revealed in an X-ray of his mummy is due to being hit with a blunt object. There is no need to jump to conclusion about this theory. Some scientists are convinced the he was not murdered; however, some are convinced that the crack in the skull was accidental, caused during the process of mummifying the body. If proper care was not taken during the initial process, they are many things that could have occurred such as his corpse being dropped on the ground or a sharp instrument falling on his skull. The two prime suspects...
Words: 583 - Pages: 3
...ancient Egypt was th rown into chaos. Then, they had changed the capital from Thebes to Armana. Akhenaten had become more corrupted over time and after following his reign for 17 years, he was completely mad, and died not to long after. Tutankhaten, his son, took over at the age of nine in 1332 B.C. Tutankhaten was one of, if not the best known king of Egypt, and still was Bradford 2 just a small part of the...
Words: 785 - Pages: 4
...Pharaoh's" first was first stated by the Arabs sometime in the 7th Century when they stumbled on to their first tomb. Because they could not read the hieroglyphics and, everything was so strange things became more mysterious and magical to them. There was also the fact that the Pharaoh’s were so well preserved and looked like they could and would rise at any moment, and so began the legends of mummies. The Arab’s believed that if they entered the tomb and uttered an incantation, they would be able to make treasures appear that had been hidden by the ancient Egyptians. But if they entered the wrong spell or incantation than the pharaohs or kings would come to life once more. The Arabs also believed in curses and saw them as a way that the Egyptians protected their tombs. One of the greatest curses that are known is the “Mummy’s Curse”; this curse occurred in 1923 when King Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered by Howard Carter. A Lord Carnarvon from England was Carter's patron and sponsor of the excavation, and was one of the first to enter the tomb. The tomb was virtually intact and had never been broken into. But even before anyone went into the tomb the curse was already at work, on the day Howard Carter opened the tomb, a cobra swallowed his pet canary. Cobras, who were servants to the goddess Wadjet, were considered the protectors of the Pharaoh. After that the curse was seemingly inactive for several weeks until a mosquito bit Lord Carnarvon. His bite (that was on his check)...
Words: 997 - Pages: 4
