Pharaoh Tutankhamun is one of the most famous pharaohs of ancient Egypt today. He was not a particularly important Egyptian pharaoh in his day, but he is one we know the most about today. Unlike all the other pharaoh tombs - both in the pyramids and in the (must-see) Valley of the Kings - his tomb was never discovered and plundered.
Thanks to King Tut being well preserved and the multi-disciplines involving forensics and DNA testing much is known about this young Pharaoh. Another ancient individual that much has been learned about is Ötzi the Iceman that one can visit in Italy.
Who Pharaoh Tutankhamun Was
Tutankhamun was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh during the New Kingdom of Egypt and was the last of this royal family on the throne at the end of the 18th Dynasty. He is identified as the mummy found in the tomb named KV55.
Rule: c. 1332 to 1323 BC
His father was Pharaoh Akhenaten and his mother was his father's sister. Tutankhamun married his half-sister Ankhesenamun, they had two daughters - both of whom died in infancy.
Common Name: King Tut
Name Meaning: "Living image of Aten (an Egyptian god)"
When King Tut ascended the throne he was only 8 or 9 years old. He was under the viziership of Ay who went on to be pharaoh himself.
Ailments, Injuries, And Death
He was a short man being only around 5 feet and 6 inches tall and had a large overbite from large front incisors. He had a narrow waist and rounded hips. Some have suggested he had temporal lobe epilepsy.
Height: Roughly 167 cm or 5 feet 6 Inches Tall
King Tut was not the healthiest of men (not helped from being so inbred). He was physically disabled and had a deformity that resulted in a clubbed left foot. He also seems to have had bone necrosis.
Deformed: He Had A Deformed Left Clubbed Foot
He would have needed a cave to walk (several were found in his tomb). He is also known to have scoliosis as well as to have contracted several strains of malaria (these strains included the most severe strain of malaria). The malaria infections may have caused a fatal immune response.
"Many of Tut's problems could have come from inbreeding, which was common in the royal family."
- NPR News
Walking: He Needed a Cane to Walk
Malaria: He Had Multiple Strains of Malaria
He had a compound left leg fracture that seems to have been an open wound at the time of his embalming.
His face was reconstructed in 2005 so people can have an idea of what he looked like.
His cause of death remains a topic of debate but it has been postulated that it may have been a combination of weakening disorders, his leg fracture, and severe malarial infection.
Discovery Of Tutankhamun's Tomb And Artifacts
Despite the often extreme efforts, the ancient Egyptians went to to make sure that the tombs of the Pharaohs were not plundered, plundered they were. Tutankhamun was rocketed to fame in 1922 when the British archeologist, Howard Carter, discovered his tomb nearly intact.
Discovered: In 1922 By Howard Carter
Over 5,000 artifacts were discovered and the find sparked renewed interest in ancient Egypt. A few of those involved in the discovery died soon after giving rise to the myth of the curse of the pharaohs.
To learn more about Howard Carter's momentous discovery, listen to the BBC's podcast "Tutankhamun."
The most famous of these artifacts was Tutankhamun's mask which is now a popular symbol for ancient Egypt.
Tutankhamun's Mask: Housed In The Egyptian Museum
All of the artifacts are the property of the Egyptian government and are normally kept at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. These artifacts may be displayed around the world, but only with the approval of the Egyptian authorities.
The New Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo
The treasures of Tutankhamun are to be exhibited in the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo from sometime in 2022.
Where: The Grand Egyptian Museum
Largest: Will Be the Largest Archaeological Museum In The World
The Grand Egyptian Museum is to be the largest archaeological museum in the world and is located just 2 kilometers or 1.2 miles from the Giza pyramid complex. It will house the complete Tutankhamun collection - it will be the first time the entire treasure collection will be on display.
Opening: Estimated To Be Around November 2022
It was scheduled for opening in 2020 and then 2021, but as of the time of writing (Feburary, 2022), it is not year open and is estimated to open in November 2022. It is planned to have more than 100,000 artifacts from pre-historic times through to Egypt's Greek and Roman periods.