King Tut Lives On
The discovery of King Tut’s tomb by Howard Carter in 1922 was big news around the world and a new fascination of Egyptian history was sparked throughout the masses. Although he only had a short rule, King Tut has become one of the most famous of the Egyptian kings as he’s become immortalised through countless movies, TV specials, books and even a song. Not much is known about his relatively short reign, but it is acknowledged he was very popular due to his rebelling against the radical religious policies put in place by his predecessor, Akhenaton. King Tut inspired fierce loyalty among his subjects and was worshipped as a god by his followers during his short reign.
King Tut’s death is a mystery that has baffled scientists for decades. Historians suspect that King Tut’s death was an accident and sudden, due to his young age and the relatively small size of his tomb compared to other Egyptian kings. For many years, scientists believed that his death was due to a blow to the back of King Tut’s head. A 2005 study revealed no evidence of a head injury and the popular scientific theory today is that he died of gangrene due to a broken leg caused by a hunting accident.
Regardless of how he died, the tomb of King Tut was a great discovery, full of amazing treasure and Egyptian artefacts. Its discovery was remarkable because it was one of the most intact tombs ever found; most ancient Egyptian tombs had been pillaged and desecrated by grave robbers throughout the centuries. While there was some evidence of intrusion into King Tut’s tomb, historians feel that it happened within a few months of his burial and very little appeared disturbed when Carter entered the tomb in the 20th century. The tomb contained an amazing amount of clothing, jewellery, furniture and containers holding food and drink items that ancient Egyptian culture stipulates is essential for the journey into the afterlife.
King Tut’s body remains inside his tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, but his numerous artefacts have been travelling nonstop all over the world for the last 50 years. One of the best known exhibitions was the “Treasures of Tutankhamen” tour which opened at the British Museum in 1972 and attracted long lines of visitors from throughout the world. The exhibit included a wide range of the many artefacts in his tomb, including jewellery, furniture and even the infamous solid gold death mask. The treasures of King Tut continue to fascinate – exhibits launched in 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010 have made their across the globe to countless crowds of admirers.
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