The Mystery of King Tutankhamun’s Death
Rohan was sitting with his friend Sir Dig-a-Lot and wondering what lesson will he be hearing today. Sir Dig-a-Lot could feel Rohan’s anxiousness to learn about something exciting.
Sir Dig-a-Lot began, “Do you remember when I told you about Ancient Egypt and the Pyramids?”
Rohan replied, “Of course. I loved every lesson on ancient Egypt.”
Sir Dig-a-Lot said, “Well, this is a part of that lesson. Today we talk about the legend of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun or King Tut. Pharaoh is a title given to rulers of ancient dynasties of Egypt.
He was a Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt from 1332 BC to 1323 BC. He was born in the city of Akhetaten, the then capital of Egypt. He became the king at the age of nine and ruled Egypt when its power was at the peak and died at the age of 18.
He was married to Ankhesenamun. Given his young age, King Tut had powerful court advisors who helped him rule Egypt well. Even at a young age he revived the falling economic fortunes of Egypt by building diplomatic relations with his neighbors.”
Rohan curiously asked, “How do we know all this about him?”
Sir Dig-a-Lot answered, “Howard Carter, an archaeologist from England discovered the tomb of King Tut. Ancient Egyptians buried their Pharaohs with things they thought their kings would need after death. The tombs were elaborately designed and filled with treasure and also contained things that the kings used during their reign.
The tomb of King Tut was discovered 3,000 years after his death and contained beautiful treasures and his personal belongings like armor and gifts from different parts of the world. The tomb was discovered on 4th November 1922 by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon in the Valley of the Kings in Thebes. The small tomb contained hundreds of objects which Egyptians believed would be used by their king after his death.”
“A complete analysis of the tomb made historians and scientists predict details like the age and the possible cause of death of the king. He is the world’s best known Pharaoh mainly because his tomb was best preserved and had over 3,000 treasures. The myth of the curse did the rounds to make it more popular. The curse was that if anyone dared to open the tomb of King Tut, he or she would suffer bad luck.”
“Wow, that is a fascinating tale. I hope I could see the things found in his tomb at least,” Rohan said.
“You can! The treasure and other things found in his tomb are among the most traveled artifacts in the world. Several exhibitions around the world have allowed people to view them and experience this fascinating part of ancient Egypt. Most recently the exhibition was held in Seattle, USA. Maybe some day your father can take you to one of them,” Sir Dig-a-Lot said.
“Oh I hope he does! I will tell him for sure,” said Rohan.
For more such interesting history articles and videos, go to History for Kids.