Facts About King Tut Part 1

Throughout ancient Egyptian history, there have been many different pharaohs to come and go. However, one of the most famous and well known of them all is King Tut , Tutankhamum. In this article, you will learn about the boy king would ruled during the 18th Dynasty and would change the life of a certain archeologist forever , the one who was supposedly haunted by “the curse of King Tut.”

King Tut is mostly known by this shortened version of his name, but “Tutankhamum” was his birth name, which has been spelled in many different ways, including Tutenkh-, -amen, and ,amon. His original name (Tutankhaten) translates into “Living Image of Aten” while Tutankhamun means “Living Image of Amun.” This was a tradition of scribes who typically placed the divine name at the beginning of a phrase in an attempt to honor the divine being.

As an Egyptian Pharaoh, King Tut ruled during the 18th Dynasty between 1333 BC and 1324 BC. His rule fell under the time period known as the New Kingdom.

In terms of the ancient world, King Tut wasn’t one of the most popular of pharaohs of his time. This is assumed by the size of his tomb, which was rather small when compared to other rulers. Because of its size, the tomb was easy to overlook. Historians believe that this is the reason why his final resting place was not uncovered until modern times. However, King Tut has become the most notable of all pharaohs during modern times.

In 1922, Howard Carter discovered the intact tomb of King Tut , actually the most intact tomb of all pharaohs.  The archeologist from the London district of Kensington, England was also a well-known Egyptologist. His fame spread when he found what was later called “KV62” , the tomb of Tutankhamum , which was situated in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt. It was his discovery that re-ignited the public interest regarding ancient Egypt. Carter also gained acclaim for locating the remains of Queen Hatshepsut’s tomb in Deir el ,Bahri.

Since he was so young when he assumed power, historians believe that most of his important political decisions were the doing of his vizier and eventual successor to the throne , Ay. In case you didn’t know, the government official that held the highest rank was called a vizier and was appointed by the pharaoh. It was not uncommon to find this individual acting on behalf of royalty or as a “chancellor” or chief administrator. Ay ruled Egypt for four years, but also held the responsibility of serving as a close advisor to two or even three of the pharaohs that ruled before him.

In Part Two and Part Three of this exploration of King Tut, you will learn facts regarding his parents, possible wives and children, as well as what scientists discovered after conducting X-Rays on the mummy of the king.