Term Paper on "King Tutankhamen"

Term Paper 6 pages (1859 words) Sources: 3 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

King Tutankhamen

Image source: (http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~ancient/tut1.htm)

Possibly the most well - known Egyptian figure of the ancient world is that of Tutankhamen or Tutankhamun, the boy King. This young Pharaoh is known to have died while still in his teens and was buried Egypt's

Valley of the Kings more than 3000 years ago. (TUTANKHAMUN) the discovery of Tutankhamen's body was made in 1922 by British Egyptologist

Howard Carter. The story and the history of this young boy King has been the source of conjecture and mystery and has been called one of the greatest mysteries of the ancient Egyptian world. This is also related to the possibly that Tutankhamun may have been murdered.

Very little is definitively known about the life of Tutankhamun and much of the historical details are a matter of debate and ongoing discussion among Egyptian scholars. There is also uncertainty about his actual parentage. One point-of-view is that he was most probably the son Akhenaten, the heretic king of the eighteenth dynasty and his mother was Queen Kiya, one of the king's secondary wives. It is also suggested that, " Ankhesenpaaten (or Ankhesenamum), his older half sister, became his queen." (Tutamkamun)

What is known is that he lived during the New Kingdom period in Egyptian history. He was the 11th king of the 18th Dynasty in Egypt. (Tutankhamun: 1336 BC - 1327 BC) at that time the powerful priesthood of the god Amun had control of vast temples and estates. (TUTANKHAMUN'S LIFE) Is it also estimated that he became Pharaoh in 1333 B.C, when he was only nine years of age and ruled until he was eighteen years old.

The period just prior to Tutankhamen's birth was one of radical change in the shape and structure of Egyptian society and internal politics. This began during the reign of Amenhotep IV. He "renounced the multitude of gods worshipped by the Egyptians and abolished the priesthood of Amun. Amenhotep established a new order to worship the sun god Aten and changed his own name to Akhenaten, meaning 'servant of the Aten' " (TUTANKHAMUN'S LIFE). Akhenaten then established a new capital to the North of Thebes which became the home of the main temples for worship. His new city was named Akhetaten, meaning "Horizon of the Aten" (TUTANKHAMUN'S LIFE).

Akhenaten ruled Egypt from this city with his main wife, Nefertiti. She bore him six daughters but no son. This presented a problems concerning Akhenaten's lineage and for the continuation of the next Pharaoh. Scholars are of the opinion that Akhenaten and a lesser wife named Kiya were the parents of Tutankhaten, as Tutankhamun was known at first.

In his early years Tutankhamun or Tutankhamen probably spent most of the formative period of his life in the palaces of Akhetaten and would have been tutored in many skills, including reading and writing. However, the historical records this period are very unclear and both the names of Nefertiti and Kiya no longer appear in the written records of the time. (TUTANKHAMUN'S LIFE) Another figure, Smenkhkare, however does appear in the records pertaining to the time and it has been suggested that he may have been a brother of Tutankhaten. What is clear is that Tutankhamen became Pharaoh after the deaths of Akhenaten and Smenkhkare at the age of nine. He is also known have married Ankhesenpaaten, one of the daughters of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. An important aspect is that during his reign the temples of Amun were restored and there was a return to the favor of the Amun hierarchy

Scholars suggest that because of his age it is likely that he had no real say in the decision making process in the country. "This would have been handled by two high officials called Ay (possibly the father of Nefertiti) and Horemheb, commander-in-chief of the army" (TUTANKHAMUN'S LIFE). This implies that while Tutankhamen is one of the most well-known of the Egyptian Kings today, yet is also generally agreed that his reign was not very significant in an historical sense. "It is very likely that Tutankhamun had very little real power at this time. He grew up and spent his childhood at Akhetaten, where the only worship would have been of the Aten. " (Tutankhamun's Life: The Amarna Site)

This is an import point in terms of the power structure of the society and it means that Tutankhamen would have had very little experience in terms the more traditional gods. This would possibly play a role in his life and the extent of his power in that after the death of Akhenaten it is likely that a return to the old religious ways and would have been instigated by the priesthood, who would have "...welcomed the possibility to regain the lands and power they had lost" (Tutankhamun's Life: The Amarna Site).

This is also relates to the view that, according to the most important document of Tutankhamun's reign, the Restoration Stele, his father's period of rule has a negative effect on the country. Due to the fact that Akhenaten's reforms were not successful it seemed to the people of the time that "...the traditional gods, seeing their temples in ruins and their cults abolished, had abandoned Egypt to chaos" (Tutankhamun: 1336 BC - 1327 BC). Tutankhamun's ascension to the throne therefore restored the old religions. During his reign the capital was moved from Akhetaten back to its traditional home at Memphis (Tutankhamun: 1336 BC - 1327 BC). Tutankhamun also "...changed his name from Tutankhaten - 'living image of Aten [the sun god]' - to Tutankhamun, in honour of Amun..." (Tutankhamun: 1336 BC - 1327 BC).

While it is generally assumed that Tutankhamun had very little impact on the society of the time, this is contradicted to a certain extent by the various monument and buildings that were constructed during his rule.

He began repairing the damage inflicted upon the temples of Amun during Akhenaten's iconoclastic reign. He constructed his tomb in the Valley of the Kings, near that of Amenophis III, and one colossal statue still survives of the mortuary temple he began to build at Medinet Habu. He also continued construction at the temple of Karnak and finished the second of a pair of red granite lions at Soleb.

Tutankhamun: 1336 BC - 1327 BC).

Scholars state that after reigning for nine years Tutankhamun died in approximately 1325 BC. This was to leave Ankhesenamun with a severe dilemma as there was now no heir to the Egyptian throne. There are however indications that the elderly AY became the Pharaoh after Tutankhamun's death and took Ankhesenamun as his queen.

The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb and burial chamber in 1922 caused a sensation in the world of Egyptology and historical research. One of the most astounding aspects of this discovery was the amount of gold and treasure that was found intact in the burial chamber. "When Carter and Carnavon reached this chamber they were overwhelmed by the sight of so much gold. King Tut's tomb had escaped graverobbers as others did not" (King Tutankhamun). As a result of the relative lack of intrusion into the chamber over the centuries the body of the King was found in a very good condition and the gold and other objects intact. The body of the young King is described as follows:

His body was elaborately dressed for a long journey and perfumed with spices and surrounded with flowers, food and wine. Casts had been taken by goldsmiths, so they could model the coffin, and sculptors worked on images of the dead king. His body was wrapped in gold tissue and he wore gold collars. Over his head he wore a mask of red and white gold, and blue faience - tin glazed earthenware.

King Tutankhamun)

Therefore, the discovery of Tutankhamun's burial chamber and body is seen as an important artistic discovery and treasure as well as a great historical find. All the treasures found in the tomb were moved to the Cairo Museum.

Theories about the cause of the death of the young King remain and it is considered to be one of the great mysteries of ancient Egypt. Some scholars are of the opinion that the young King may have been murdered.

X-rays taken in 1968 seemed to indicate the possibility of an injury to the skull that had time to partly heal. This was thought by some to be evidence of a blow to the skull - perhaps murder. Others thought it may have been the result of a fall from his horse-drawn chariot.

TUTANKHAMUN'S LIFE)

However more recent scientific research has not found any significant evidence of murder. In 2005 the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities used a portable CAT-scanner to investigate the mummy of Tutankhamun. These scans "...showed no evidence of a blow to the skull" (TUTANKHAMUN'S LIFE). The scans also provided some important information about the King; including the fact that about 168 cm tall and of slight build. (TUTANKHAMUN'S LIFE) There is also support for the theory that he died… READ MORE

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