...and was succeeded by the now famous Tutankhamun.(2) Because of the very close similarity of their skulls and their identical blood types,(3) Tutankhamun and Semenkhare are considered to have been brothers.(4) The mummies of Amenhotep III, Tiye, Tutankhamun and Semenkhare(5) have all been identified with a great deal of certainty. Scientists are currently trying to extract DNA from small samples taken from these and other 18th Dynasty mummies.(6) If this effort is successful it could provide a non-controversial solution to the particular mystery of Tutankhamun's parentage. With Akhenaten in exile, the line of David (Thutmose III) became divided. One Pharaoh lived on in the Sinai. The other "Branch" (Isaiah 4:2, 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5) now "sitting on the throne of his father [Amenhotep III or Akhenaten]," was the young Tutankhamun. After his coronation, or perhaps as part of the coronation itself, Tutankhamun's name was changed. His birth name had been Tut-ankh-aten. The change in his name was likely part of a compromise with the priests of Amun. Because Tutankhamun was only a child of seven to ten years old at his ascension, it could hardly have been a deliberate decision on his own part in contrast to the name change of his father (from Amenhotep IV to Akhenaten). Under the supervision of the elderly prime minister, Aye (second son of Yuya and identified with Ephraim, the second and more favored son of the Biblical Joseph), Tutankhamun continued to rule Egypt from the city...
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...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...
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...The Death of King Tut Assignment 1 By Angela Faison Humanities 101 Professor Charles Fleming King Tut was born 1341 B.C.E. and was the 12th king of the 18th Egyptian dynast. King Tutankhamun was in power from approximately 1332 to 1323 B.C.E. After King Tutankhamun (also known as King Tut), death at age 19 he disappeared from history, until the discovery of his tomb in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter. (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history) With this discovery came a fascination into King Tut’s life and death. There have been many theories surrounding his death. Two theories I find interesting are that an accident caused the untimely death of teenage pharaoh King Tut. The other theory is that King Tut was murdered by his advisor Ay. King Tutankhamun's mummy has been X-rayed three times, in 1968, 1978 and in 2005. (ancientegyptonline.co.uk) But these scans have not been able to confirm the cause of his death. The first theory is that King Tutankhamun was genetically inferior. In 2010 DNA tests published revealed that Tutankhamen’s parents were likely brother and sister. (www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/tutankhamen) This left King Tut with a bone disease in his clubbed left foot. It also made it difficult for King Tut to stand in the chariot while performing his Kingly duties. Theorist believe that King Tut may have crashed his chariot leaving him with a broken leg. (www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/tutankhamen) In 1995 CT scans...
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...1 Tutankhamen's death Jose Echavarria Steven Klein Hum111 7/22/2011 Tutankhamen 2 Tutankhamen died young, at around 18 years of age. However, his cause of death has not been confirmed. Did he die of an injury, of illness, or was he murdered? The legendary 18th dynasty pharaoh Tutankhamen died tragically young , during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom. His original name, Tutankhaten, means "Living Image of Aten", while Tutankhamun means "Living Image of Amun". Speculating as to the cause of his early demise has been a popular pursuit, There are no surviving records of Tutankhamen's final days. What caused Tutankhamen's death has been the subject of considerable debate. Major studies have been conducted in an effort to establish the cause of death. There is some speculation that Tutankhamen was assassinated, possibly by a close family member or associate due to greed and power, If he was murdered it would almost be impossible to solve due to the many years of tarnish. but also there is another hypothesis that his death was accidental. Tutankhamen 3 A CT scan taken in 2005 shows that he had badly broken his leg shortly before his death, and that the leg had become infected. DNA analysis conducted in 2010 showed the presence of malaria in his system. It is believed that these two conditions combined, led to his death. So he might have not been murdered after all. So many theories surround his death, it’s impossible to...
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...situations both good and bad. Pharaoh Tutankhamun and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt are two examples of leaders. Different actions define what makes that leader a good or bad one, to be a good leader you must have a strong foothold and understanding on what’s best for your people. Tut knew this and did his best for his people even though he was restricted, and Sisi knows when to take immediate action for his people. Tutankhamun ruled as a young pharaoh in ancient Egypt, his ruling was short and a little bumpy at first. Tut’s life was short and interesting as he was thrust into the title at the young age of eight. His...
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...Assignment :1 Essay Michael Dickerson Professor Kerrie Flanagan HUM- 111 World Cultures 29 October 2012 Abstract 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...
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...The Mystery of the Death of King Tutankhamun Many believe that King Tutankhamun was murdered; others believe he died of natural causes deriving from an insect bite. According to a two-year long study conducted by Zahi Hawass of the Secretary-General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), scientists now believe that he likely died of a leg injury, further complicated by an attack of malaria (HASAN, 2010). Having different theories and no concrete evidence, the death of King Tut has always been and continues to remain a mystery. The manner, in which King Akhenaten (father of King Tutankhamun) died, brought concern to suspect that Tutankhamun would become a political target for assassination. King Akhenaten yielded a religious revolution creating a world filled with chaos and during this pandemonium, Tutankhamun was born. The religious uproar that he caused led to several attempted assassinations on his life, and after 17 years of reigning, he died. The cause of his death was unknown but was suspected to be murder. At the young age of 9, Tutankhamun was made king but it took him several years to mature and rise to power. King Tutankhamen then experienced an acute early death at age 19 leaving people to believe that his death may have been a politically motivated assassination. Since the discovery of his tomb in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter, many theorized that the cause of Tutankhamun’s death was murder because of the hole in his skull. This was later...
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...There are several different theories as to how King Tutankhamun died. Some will argue he was murdered, while others believe he died from an illness. Due to the several theories that surround his death it is virtually impossible to pinpoint the exact cause of his death that occurred over 3,000 years ago. However the one fact that scientists and historians can agree about, is that the death of King Tutankhamun is one of the most fascinating mysteries to ever come out of Egypt and still intrigues scientists and historians to this day. Did King Tut die of an illness? According to researchers at Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, a combination of bone disease and a malaria infection may have led to the young king’s untimely death. King Tut suffered from avascular bone necrosis, a condition where poor blood supply to the bone leads to a weakening or destruction of an area of bone. He also, along with three mummy’s identified as close relatives, suffered from malaria at some time in his life. Researches write that the bone condition alone would not cause death but in addition to a malaria infection, death is highly probable. "These results suggest avascular bone necrosis in conjunction with the malarial infection as the most likely cause of death of Tutankhamun”, (Covington, June 2005). Was it murder? One popular story that stands out is based on the theory that King Tut was murdered with a blow to the back of the head by a member of the royal court in order to inherit...
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...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...
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...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...
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...− World Cultures I | | Franceda Coleman | January 28th, 2012 | Professor Pettigrew | The “Mummy’s Curse” The “Mummy’s Curse” is explained as a series of unexplainable, unfortunate or tragic events that happened to people who were present at the opening of Tutankhamen’s tomb. Unable to explain why many people present during the opening suffered such loss and the mix of media hype and facts, people started to speculate that the curse was real. “Legend has it that anyone who dared to open the tomb would suffer the wrath of the mummy, because mummies have been associated with many magical powers throughout history” (http://www.kingtutone.com/tutankhamun/curse/). Another possibility is that “New findings are showing that bacteria on the wall of the tomb might have been the cause of the curse” (http://www.kingtutone.com/tutankhamun/curse/). From all that I have read, I believe that the “Mummy’s” most likely is the real thing. I say this mainly because I do believe in things such as “curses” and magic, but also because the likely hood of the mold or bacteria found at the tomb ( Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus Flavus) can cause congestion and bleeding of the lungs, but scientist have confirmed that they are not. In fact, “F. DeWolfe Miller, professor of epidemiology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, concurs with Howard Carter's original opinion: Given the local conditions, Lord Carnarvon was probably safer inside Tut's tomb than outside”. (http://science.nationalgeographic...
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...Stayer HUM111: World Cultures I August 10, 2015 Comparing Sculptures of Ancient India and Greece In this essay I will be comparing the way gods and humans were depicted in sculpture in ancient India and Greece, and identifing the cultural values and ideals that these art works reflect in each culture. There are two theories that have been the main debate on the death of Tutankhamun. The first theory is that King Tut died from a leg infraction that was caused by a bone disease that was due to malaria. The second theory is that Tutankhamun's death was caused by a chariot accident based on a head injury. Many scientists theories have been based off their investigations using microscopes, X-ray machines, and DNA/chemical analysis. According to author Dan Vergano, Zahi Hawass the Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities found traces of malaria genes in Tutankhaum. By taking xrays it revealed that King Tut's broken leg was caused by malaria. These xrays also showed that Tutankhamun had a painful deterioration of his bones. Hawass also performed tests that showed patchy skin on his neck and cheek which at first thought to be a boil or plague. Later it was determined to be the mark of a severe form of malaria known as malaria tropical. According to Husna Haq from the Christian Science Monitor there was a 2 year investigation that determined through DNA study that Tutankhaum had a cleft palate and a clubbed foot...
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...HUM 111-ASSIGNMENT 1 PROF. GILYARD | | 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...
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...THE MYSTERY THE MYSTERY BEHIND TUTANKHAMUN’S 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...
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...The Book of the Dead originated from the Pyramid Texts, which had the same purpose, only it was reserved for the king and his family. Eventually it evolved so that anyone who could pay for it could have spells from the Book of the Dead in their death ritual. A very famous scroll from the Book of the Dead, it the last judgement of Hunefer. It illustrates Hunefer’s journey into the underworld, first getting his heart weighed by Anubis, god of mummification, to see if he is pure. Then Hunefer meets Osiris, the god of the underworld, portrayed behind a lotus, which was a symbol of eternal life. All of this was created on a piece of papyrus with beautiful pictures and...
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