Tutankhamun Mystery

Exploring Ancient Mysteries

Tutankhamun, the Young Pharaoh of Egypt

Over the years, the earth has grown older. The present day world depicts modern developed societies. However, the quest to learn about the birth of earth, the ancient civilizations and the mysteries surrounding these past developments have been of interest to the present day man. The advancements in technology have helped the mankind to explore the ancient mysteries and the civilizations that lived trillion of years back. The land of Egypt is often called as land of mysteries. The monuments, temples, pyramids and other similar architectural sites have captured the attention of historians, archeologists and anthropologists to learn about this land. The first of civilization

The historians, anthropologists and archeologists have been trying to dig evidence in Tutankhamun’s life and his untimely death. Years of research have brought various revelations and unearthed mysteries. An archaeological team led by British

Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun tomb in November

1922. (Owen Jarus, April 2016). As per the archeological findings and forensic evidence, there were signs of burn on Tutankhamun’s body.

Subsequent chemical tests confirmed that the body was burnt while sealed inside the coffin. It was also discovered that “embalming oils” combined with oxygen and linen caused a chemical reaction which raised the temperature, and the body was cooked. (Jonathan Owen, November

2013). Archaeological findings have revealed that Tutankhamun had health issues. He is speculated to have suffered from malaria and a bone disorder. At that time food items and other accessories were kept in the grave. There was a belief that the soul would return to the body, and the person would require basic necessities. Sticks were found in Tutankhamun’s grave suggesting that he had walking problems.

Exact facts about Tutankhamun death continue to remain a mystery.

Certain hypothesis based on the fossil evidence suggest that the

(Owen Jarus, April 2016).

There exists a religious angle to Tutankhamun’s death. Egyptians believed in polytheistic religion (Egyptians had as many as 2000 Gods and Godesses; there two Chief Gods were Amon-Ra - sun god and lord of universe and Osiris - the God of the underworld”). Tutankhamun father,

Akhenaten was a “revolutionary pharaoh”, who tried to focus Egypt’s polytheistic religion around the worship of the sun. Tutankhamun, due to his young age had to rely on the advisors. The young ruler tried to undo the religious revolution that his father had started. He condemned the destruction of the temples under his father’s rule. He believed that due to the “Akhenaten’s religious revolution”, God’s were ignoring the land of Egypt, which was a bad omen. To justify strong belief/bondage with “Osiris, the God of the underworld” (idea of immortality), Tutankhamun had himself “mummified” in an unusual way. As per the Archeologist Salima Ikram “Tutankhamun’s skin was soaked black with oil, his heart was removed and was mummified.” The inflammable oil burned the body. (Owen Jarus, April